


A Lie to Live

by Somiko_Raven



Category: Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Altered Mental States, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Science Fiction, Artificial Organs, Assassination, Attempted assassination, Blood, Death, F/M, Faked Germophobia, Forbidden Magic, Human Experimentation, M/M, Magic, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-24
Updated: 2018-08-14
Packaged: 2018-10-23 10:42:02
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 18
Words: 26,145
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10717800
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Somiko_Raven/pseuds/Somiko_Raven
Summary: Magic is forbidden. Anyone discovered to be able to use it is, in a best case scenario, imprisoned. Those that realize they have the curse are forced to hide it, or suffer the consequences. However, there are some cases where they feel they must act and risk revealing themselves... while others may simply slip up.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Tags may change as the story progresses. Characters may be added.

It was late evening when he noticed it, a bright, colorful stream of light, ghosting up into the sky. Howard's breath caught in his throat. There was no record of magical beings in the area. This was either someone new, or a young person's curse developing. He feared he would learn it was the latter, as the light seemed to be originating from his own backyard. Stark Industries earned him enough of a fortune that he could afford the luxury of an actual mansion rather than one of the compact apartments that littered the city.

He opened his door, the noise of the outside muffled compared to his racing heart. His young son Tony was staring up at the illuminating strands that seemed to materialize from his hands. Howard felt almost sick at the sight of his son. "The curse has claimed you," he whispered, the small boy of maybe eight years looking at him now. Tony slowly hid his hands in his lap, remembering the stories of the cursed, how their magical abilities would always bring misfortune to those around them. He didn't want that happening to his father, not when Howard was so close to making a breakthrough for the military.

The man approached his son with caution, not wanting to frighten him, unsure of what else could come out of this type of cursed gift. "Tony," he said, slowly closing the space between them, "come inside with me, alright?"

The boy silently nodded as he walked over to Howard. The man grasped his child, holding him against his chest. Tony still felt human, warm and solid. Thank the Gods, his boy would not be one of those types whose physical form seemed to shift to another state. He had seen some nightmarish things in his days.

"Father?" he heard Tony ask him. "Father, are you alright? Am I in trouble?"

"No, Tony, you're not," Howard answered him. "I'll make sure of it. I promise you, son."

"It's bad, right?" the boy continued. "The light is bad."

"It is, Tony."

"But it's so pretty."

Howard carried his son inside with a sigh, setting him down on a table. He took Tony's hands in his own, examining them, checking for any larger pores that the strange phenomenon could have been originating from. He was finding nothing unusual, squeezing the small hands with gentle pressure. "How do you do it?" he asked Tony.

Tony pulled his hands back, worrying etching onto his young face. "But it's bad..."

"Yes," Howard told him, "it is. But, Tony, I need to know so I can help you fix this."

The boy still wasn't so sure about this, but with a timid nod, he slowly held out his hands again, creating bright streams of light within moments, the colorful trails waving through the air like smoke. Howard moved a finger through one of the streams, the light reflecting on his skin, stopping its momentum right there. "How do you control it?" he asked Tony.

"I... I think about it."

"Think about it... so you use your mind."

"Yes, father."

Howard slowly moved his hand through the various light trails, watching how he was able to block it with every pass. "Can you make it appear from anywhere else on you?"

"I don't think so..." Tony answered him.

"Try it, just try it."

Tony nodded and tried creating the light from another place other than his hands, but nothing happened. He shook his head to his father; it wasn't something he could do. Howard felt relieved about it though. At least it was only Tony's hands. He could work with this. "Tony, how do you feel about gloves? Maybe black ones... Gloves that can block out light."

"We can hide it? I won't be in trouble?"

"That's right, son," said Howard as he helped the boy off the table and started a brisk pace. He needed to get to the lab.

 

* * *

 

Sarah wiped the wet rag over her son's brow while his friend watched helplessly from a corner of the room. "You'll make it through this, Steven," she told her ailing boy. "I just know it."

Bucky stayed out of her sight as he lifted his hand, waving his fingers at the sick boy's weakened body, dancing the illness out of his system, just like every other time since he was nine. He knew it was believed to be a curse, but anything that could save his friend's life couldn't possibly be that bad.

He watched the smoke of disease waft through the air before he sent it floating towards the open window and outside. Steve was going to live another day. He regretted not being able to permanently rid his friend of disease. The boy's body simply wasn't strong enough to prevent anything new from entering.

"Steven?" the woman asked aloud, even though her son was still asleep, but even if she didn't get an answer then, Sarah felt relieved as she began to notice the improvement to his breathing, and the heat of his fever was beginning to drop. She didn't know what brought about this miracle, but maybe that was for the best. She smiled happily over at Bucky. "He's going to be okay," she told him.

Bucky only gave her a sad smile in return, seeing a dark cloud that had been wearing her body down for far too long now. He wished he could help her, save her, but it was just too strong.

**Seven Years Later**

  
Sarah's death had taken a toll on Steve, the young man throwing himself into more ridiculous fights than he would normally involve himself with. Bucky lightly rubbed the back of his neck. He had vowed to protect Steve when Sarah was on her deathbed, but now that promise was seeming more and more like a damn chore. Bucky loved Steve, he really did, but this was getting out of hand. Thing was, all the fights Steve decided to start, Bucky needed to step in and finish since the smaller man really couldn't, unless Bucky wanted his friend battered, bruised, and bloody.

He was ready to hold an intervention one afternoon when he found Steve waiting for him in their kitchen, holding a flyer from Stark Industries. "Steve?" he asked, slowly stepping towards him.

"I'm doing this, Buck," Steve quickly said before showing it to him. Bucky simply stared at it. "I have to do this. You're joining the military anyway, right?"

Bucky snatched the flyer from him to read it before turning his eyes back on his friend. "So you're going to be a science experiment for them? Why? Stevie, why are you doing this?"

"I have to do this," Steve tried arguing.

"No you don't!" Bucky wanted so badly to explain to him, 'I've kept you alive this long, I'm not about to let you lose your life to something like this!' He couldn't, though, not really. He could never explain his freakish nature to Steve, the gift that removed so much disease from the smaller man's body over the years. "You can't do this... I know... I know you want to fight, but... Stevie, please..."

"No, Buck, I am doing this." Steve pulled the flyer back from him. "I see Mr. Stark in a few days to see if I'll be accepted. He and a guy named Erskine are the ones doing the experiment." Looking at Bucky again, he said, "You can't stop me."

"I'm not gonna stop you," Bucky sighed. "I mean, what's even the point? Your mind's already made up, so..."

Steve was starting to deflate a little, but knew he couldn't give up this opportunity. "We'll both be out there. You wouldn't be able to keep an eye on me if I didn't go. Don't you want to keep me out of trouble out there?"

Bucky shook his head, thinking this was already too much. "You really think I'd be able to? This is the _military_ , Steve. We don't just get to be buddies out there; this is really serious!"

"I _know_ that! That's _why_ I'm doing this!" Steve argued. "I can't just sit back and let others die for our country!"

"Why not? You'd be fucking safe then, Steve!"

"Gods, Buck, don't you understand?"

"Don't _you_?!"

The two men stopped to breathe, neither of them wanting to surrender the fight, but one of them knew what had to be done if they were going to keep their friendship. Bucky ran a hand through his hair; it had been getting longer and was starting to get messy curls. "Steve, I... I mean it, alright? I won't stop you. But please, don't be stupid, okay? Can you promise me that?"

"I thought you were the one that had enough stupid for both of us," Steve replied, the corners of his mouth starting to curve upward.

"You punk..." Bucky said back, but he couldn't fight his own grin, throwing an arm around Steve's shoulders. "Let's get some food."

 

* * *

 

Abraham Erskine and Howard Stark both looked over Steve's paperwork. "Amazing you're still alive, huh?" Howard remarked, eyeing the scrawny man. "All that illness, so young... How'd it go away?"

Steve swallowed and answered, "I don't know, just lucky, I guess. And it's not gone... I still have asthma, for one."

"Yes... Yes, you wrote that down. But the other times --"

"Stark, that's quite alright," said Abraham, sending a friendly smile Steve's way. "The serum should take care of it."

Steve looked from man to man a few times before he asked, "This is just the interview, right?"

"While that is true, I must say, I like you. I like you quite a bit." Abraham turned to Howard. "I know who I want to use. Do you want the public viewing?"

"That isn't necessary," Howard told him.

"Then we'll proceed with the procedure tomorrow. Until then, rest, relax, maybe look around," Abraham said to Steve, looking so proud of his little discovery.

The young man nodded with a, "Thank you, sir," before leaving the room, almost immediately walking into a teenaged boy just outside the door. "Oh, sorry about that," Steve apologized.

The boy stared at him a moment and then shrugged. "It's no big deal," he said, "I'm just waiting for my dad. Is he almost done in there?"

"Uh, yeah. I think so... You Stark's kid then?" Steve wondered as he watched the youth, his eyes eventually finding the elbow-lenth black gloves that the boy wore, wondering why he had them.

"Is it that obvious?" the teen said with a grin. "I'm Anthony, my dad calls me Tony. Well, so does everyone else too, I guess."

"Tony, pleased to meet you; my name's Steve," he introduced himself, holding his hand out to the boy, but Tony never took it, instead just looking at him. "Something wrong?"

"I guess you haven't heard much about me, surprisingly," Tony quietly answered, displaying a sad smile on his young face. "I'm the little germaphobe of the Stark family. No touching allowed."

Steve slowly nodded, commenting, "Well, for a germaphobe, you're awfully calm about being out in the open where there's germs everywhere, and you didn't even panic, not even a little, when I walked into you a little while ago."

Tony's little smile vanished.

"I won't tell anyone," Steve assured him, "but maybe try improving your acting, huh?"

"Yeah... I guess I'll have to," Tony sighed.

"Could I maybe ask why you do it?"

"You can ask, but I won't answer," the teen replied.

"Didn't think you would, but it was worth a shot."

Tony started to grin again. "So, are you the old man's guinea pig then? The so-called, 'chosen one'?"

Steve paused. "You're not a fan of this experiment either, are you?"

"Aw, was it too obvious again? Sorry, man, really. Guess I just can't turn it off."

"My buddy isn't thrilled about it either, but I do believe that this can be used for good."

"Perfect soldiers going off to war, and for what? To get shot at, just like any other, only our enemies don't use guns. They use magic. I don't care how strong you get, will it help you go up against _them_? Any magical endurance? Some sort of, I don't know, personal spell of protection?"

"I don't know," Steve honestly answered. "I know it will cure my ailments, it might help with that as well."

"That _serum_ is a _magical potion_ ," Tony went on. "How the hell can they call it anything different? Seriously, why is this kind of magic good while others are bad? Why do we demonize others, but try so hard for something like this?"

"Do you feel like this because... you _are_ one?" Steve suddenly asked, interrupting Tony.

The teen sighed, a hand going through his hair. "No, I just... really hate this bullshit."

"Tony," they both heard as Howard stepped into the hall, "you know you shouldn't be spouting off your naïve ideas to strangers like this."

"Sure thing, thanks, dad," Tony remarked with a roll of the eyes. "No really, I feel so... _enlightened_ now."

"Sure you do." Turning to Steve, Howard said, "I'm sorry about him. Ever since he learned of the serum's purpose, he's been... well, you've seen."

Steve accepted the apology, but watched as Tony shook in irritation. He wondered if Tony was about to go off again when the boy opened his mouth, "Anyway, _father_ , I do have the blueprint ready for my entry into... what was it called again?"

"Stark Industries," Howard replied.

"Right, right, the company I may, _or may not_ , inherit once you kick the bucket. Sound right?"

"Tony, you will get it, don't worry."

"Then put it in the will. You won't live forever."

"Son, stop. It will be added in time."

"Why do you have that old man as your beneficiary, anyway?" the teen questioned.

"Obadiah is a good man, Tony," Howard told him. "He'll know which way to direct Stark Industries."

"But he's older than you," Tony pointed out.

Howard shook his head with a sigh, turning to Steve again. "Sorry about my boy."

"It's alright," Steve told him. "I'll just see you and Erskine tomorrow then."

"Sounds good, Rogers."

"See you tomorrow, lab rat," Tony taunted after Steve as the man left them.

"Tony..." Howard warned, facing his son again, "you're about to lose your chance at ever running the company."

The boy shut his mouth, not wanting to lose the opportunity altogether. He was already needing to wait behind that man, Stane, before even being able to reach for it; Howard's will said so. Tony could do so much good with Stark Industries though, he was sure of it. One of his goals was undemonizing those with magical gifts. Another was working towards the dismantling of the military and working for a more sustainable peace with their neighboring countries. His father had grown up with the need for war, but Tony truly felt it was no longer necessary. There could be peace if they could only work towards it. "So about my --"

"I'll look at it later, son," his father said. "I have preparations to make for tomorrow."

Tony dropped the blueprint to his side, giving Howard a knowing smile. "Of course you do." He started down the hall, calling out to the man, "I'll see you tomorrow, dad."

It hurt, it really did. Howard had been treating him differently ever since his gift developed as a child. He was then forced into mandatory black gloves, designed to be able to block out the light while also being thin enough to not get in the way of his work. Still, even with all the help Howard had given him to try and seem normal, Tony had a hard time progressing in the world. People didn't seem to want to work with a supposed germaphobe, and if Steve was correct, he couldn't even pull the acting off right.

"Hey, Tony!"

He stopped, looking down the hall he had been passing by, and grinned when he saw James Rhodes coming up. "Rhodey, hey. I'd say I came to see you, but..."

"Yeah man, I know how it is," Rhodey joked with him. Tony was a few years younger, sure, but the boy was pretty brilliant, and it had been easy for Rhodey to befriend him. "You show your old man that blueprint yet?"

"Tried to," Tony replied. "He wasn't interested since I wasn't the special _chosen one_ for magic potion serum injection."

"So they found someone, huh? Already?"

"Yep, scrawny guy, must be perfect for good ol' Abe."

Rhodey started walking alongside Tony as their chat continued, "You know, it is weird that they're trying to control something like... what is it, a sort of liquified magic?"

"Exactly my point," Tony said, giving an overly dramatic sigh.

"Look, Tony, I know how you feel about magic, you've told me more times than I care to count, kid, but," Rhodey paused a moment, "I don't think any magic should be legalized. Not liquified, not... what people use. That shit's dangerous, okay? Do your father and Erskine even really know what they're doing with this experiment?"

Tony looked up at the ceiling for a bit, deciding to swallow any argument he would have had. He couldn't tell Rhodey that he was one of the people he felt should be... should _remain_... illegal. It was so painful to hear, but until he felt safe enough to come out, he would need to endure it. At least Rhodey didn't say that they should be exterminated on the spot, like he had heard some folks state. He needed to remain silent, keep it hidden. Finally, he quietly answered Rhodey's question, "I'm not sure what they're thinking, honestly..."

 

* * *

 

Thank you for reading!

[You can find me on tumblr!](http://crystallized-iron.tumblr.com/)

Take care!


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Magic is forbidden. Anyone discovered to be able to use it is, in a best case scenario, imprisoned. Those that realize they have the curse are forced to hide it, or suffer the consequences. However, there are some cases where they feel they must act and risk revealing themselves... while others may simply slip up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tags may change as the story progresses. Characters may be added.

The apartment was empty when Steve got home. He wondered if he had missed Bucky while he was meeting members of the military after talking to Howard Stark and Abraham Erskine until the other man walked in. "Steve..." he heard.

Turning to him, Steve felt like he was ready for another fight. He could do this. "Bucky..."

"Did your... interview... go well?" Bucky asked him, clearly feeling uncomfortable.

"Yes, Buck, it did," Steve answered. "They already decided; I'm the one."

Bucky shook his head, a small chuckle escaping him. "Of course you are," he stated. "That would be just my luck."

"Seriously, Buck?"

"No, look, I can't stop you. I know that. But don't you dare expect me to be happy for you. I don't like it, Steve, your mother would hate it."

"Don't bring my mother into this, Bucky."

"Or what?" Bucky challenged. There were a few minutes of silence before he quietly said, "I'm sorry. That was..."

"Yeah..."

"I'm sorry... I just... It's really hard for me... seeing you so determined to do this..."

"I know..." Steve quietly told him.

After another brief pause, Bucky asked, "So... when's your... thing? Can I be there?"

"Tomorrow afternoon," Steve answered. "I'm not sure if they want spectators, though."

"I'm more than just a spectator," Bucky reminded him. "I'm your best friend, or so I thought."

"I know, Buck. Not sure they do," Steve said.

"I'll find a way," Bucky said, matter-of-factly. "Why the hell would I wanna miss my buddy's big day, huh?"

"It's not a wedding, Buck," Steve commented, but smiled when Bucky laughed. "I'm not even getting married to science, so don't worry."

"No, but... it is a big deal, right?"

"Yeah... it is. I'll be... someone completely different tomorrow."

Bucky walked over to him. "It's sort of like 'becoming a man', huh? If you believe that sort of thing."

"I guess." Steve looked around their small apartment. "Think we can afford going out tonight?"

Bucky grinned, throwing his arm around Steve's shoulders. "I think we can manage."

 

* * *

 

Howard and Abraham made the necessary preparations, but Steve still wondered how well this was going to go. While the two scientists discussed what else had to be done, Steve's eyes took in the room, his gaze eventually falling onto what looked to him like a leather collar, but fitted for something other than an animal. He wondered what it was for, but before he could even begin to question why it was there, Abraham was with him. "Are you ready, Steven?" the man asked him.

Steve nodded until he noticed Howard setting up a bed with leather straps. "Those are to...?"

"Protection," Abraham explained. "If you were to thrash about during the process, how else could we keep you safe? Not to mention everyone else as well."

"You expect it to get that bad?" Steve asked.

"You are our first; we don't quite know what to expect in terms of negative side effects."

"But you're confident about the positive ones?"

"Oh yes, very."

Steve looked around again, realizing, "There's only scientists in here."

"We decided no spectators," Howard remarked as he waited for Steve to get on the bed. "Safer this way, for everyone."

"I have a buddy that wanted to be here; he's military."

Abraham gestured to the bed while telling him, "Then even if we did allow an audience, he wouldn't be here anyway. There was a threat made against the city, so all troops are now on patrol."

"All of them?" Steve asked.

"Yes, _all_ of them."

"Seems a bit odd," Steve commented. "A threat is definitely bad news, but having _everyone_ on patrol because of it?"

"That was their decision, young man," said Howard. "Now come on."

Steve got on the bed, lying down. Howard strapped the leather restraints over him.

"Am I late to the party?" they heard Tony ask from the doorway. The teen strolled right in, looking Steve over. "I do not envy you."

"Tony, you know you're not supposed to be here," his father told him.

"Uh huh, and your point is? I think I have a right to know what's going on here, especially if I'm inheriting the company, and everything it's involved in." He stopped by Abraham. "So do you know if he's ever updated his will yet?"

"Tony," Howard interrupted before Abraham had time to respond. "Son, this is not the place."

"Never the right time or place, is it, dad?" Tony argued. "What the hell do I have to do to get an inheritance out of you?"

"Cut it out, kid," Steve spoke from the bed.

"Stay out of this, guinea pig."

"Anthony, you can argue with your father later," said Abraham, "but right now we need to get started. You can watch, but not too close, alright?"

Tony turned to his father. "Am I allowed to stay?" Howard sighed but gave him a nod. "Great, so I'll be over here then," the boy said, walking to the far wall and turning so he could see everything.

Abraham went to the table, filling vials with the so-called serum, which was apparently several different potions. Tony's eyes never left those bottles; he felt nauseous knowing that the magical properties came from gifted individuals like himself. How could his father do this? Howard knew that the gifted didn't need to be feared, they could survive peacefully with their talents.

Tony folded his arms over his chest, watching his father and Abraham direct the other scientists to all inject Steve with the serum at the same time. When he finally tore his eyes away from the sight, he made eye contact with Steve. The boy wondered if this man really believed his own statement from before; _'do you feel like this because... you_ are _one?'_ If only he knew...

"Ready, gentlemen?" came Abraham's voice, breaking Tony out of his thoughts. "Begin... now."

All of those needles pierced Steve's skin at once, the man wincing over the many tiny pricks. Tony's breath caught in his throat. This could go very wrong. He silently prayed for Steve's safety through this. As nothing happened at first other than Steve's skin starting to pale and his body going scarily still, the scientists all started to panic, Tony's own father quickly going over notes to figure out just what went wrong. Tony ran up to Steve, checking his pulse. The serum had stopped his heart. The teen only vaguely heard what was being shouted before quickly yanking off his glove.

Howard didn't know his son's gift had evolved over the years. It had become quite the energy source. "Don't die on us," Tony whispered to Steve's unconscious form as a small bolt of electrical energy erupted from his palm. He shocked the man's chest, setting off a reaction with the magic inside, causing Steve's body to morph and grow. Tony jumped back, slipping his glove back on as he stared, the transformation not ending until Steve truly looked like a soldier, his figure taller and thick with muscle, the leather straps straining. Tony couldn't stop staring at him, murmuring, "Oh, fuck me..."

Abraham looked over as they heard Steve start breathing again, eyes widening as they took in the differences between Steve before and how he was now. "It worked."

Howard started at their accomplishment before looking at Tony, knowing he had something to do with Steve's survival.

Steve gazed up at them upon opening his eyes. "What... happened...?" he wondered.

"Almost lost you," Howard told him. "Good thing the serum took effect in the end."

Steve slowly nodded, carefully sitting up after the straps were undone, Howard noticing a faint burn mark on one of them. Steve looked at himself, seeing the difference in his body right away. No wonder his clothes were feeling tighter. "We'll get you a uniform right away," Abraham promised him, seeing how uncomfortable the man felt as the fabric stretched around him.

Tony's face turned red while he looked Steve over, not really sure what he was feeling. This was the same guy he was arguing with before? "I can get him a uniform," the teen volunteered, but his father pulled him to the side.

"Sorry, Erskine, but I have to deal with this boy," Howard stated, taking Tony out the door.

"We'll see you tomorrow then," Abraham called after them.

Tony allowed himself to get dragged along. "Okay, so I made a mistake by trying to save his life," he started. "I couldn't let him die, though."

"Tony, you could have gotten yourself found out," Howard hissed at him. "I'm trying to protect you, don't you see that?"

"Protect me from life? From actually being something?"

"Do you have any idea what would happen to you if people knew your secret, Tony?"

"I'd get arrested."

"You'd be executed!"

"And so will you, right?" the boy countered. "Is it really me you're worried about or is it just yourself at this point, dad? You don't leave me anything in your will, you barely talk to me unless you have to --"

Howard threw him outside before coming out after him. "Boy, I have work to do. I can't babysit you all the time. You'll be a man soon enough."

Tony glared at him. "I get that, but you're not --"

"I've been trying to come up with ways to help you, Tony. That's where my focus is."

"Oh gods, what a fucking lie that is," Tony groaned. "Is that why you're forcing people into magical enhancement? How is that supposed to help me, anyway? I don't quite understand that logic, dad."

Howard frustratingly shook his head with an exasperated sigh. "That... was a military request. We get our funding from them, son, you know that."

The teen rolled his eyes as he walked away, heading to the street. He knew it was no use arguing with Howard over all of this, so why did he keep trying? His father would never understand Tony's ideals, let alone lend his support. Even his best friend couldn't really understand how Tony felt.

Stopping beside him, Howard raised his arm to call a carriage over. "You'll learn eventually," the man promised his son, the chauffeur opening the door for them, "we do what we have to in order to keep the money coming. You'll need to sell yourself and your talents to get anywhere, Tony."

"Ugh, sure, nice talk, dad," the boy answered, climbing into the carriage, Howard getting in after him. The door shut once they were settled. "You know, maybe I don't want to inherit the company after all; too much dirty money."

"You won't be saying that forever, son." Tony rolled his eyes as he stared out the window. "You were so intent on inheriting Stark Industries, but now you don't want it because of military money?" his father asked him. "Where did you think the funding came from?"

"I --"

"You couldn't have been so stupid to not know it at all, son."

"Father --"

"Did you believe we just create it in the lab, boy?"

"Gods, father, no! Seriously? _These_ are your true thoughts, aren't they? _This_ is how you _truly_ feel about me. _This_ is why I don't get the company."

"Tony, you're being foolish. Act like a more realistic adult and maybe I will consider putting you in the will," Howard told him.

"You know what," Tony sighed, turning his eyes to his father as the carriage went on its way, "I have a feeling you never planned on giving me the company in the first place. Is it because of my... _nature_? Is that it? You don't want my _hands_ corrupting your good name?"

"Tony, stop."

"Why should I? Isn't it true, _father_? Ever since my gift came about, you seem like you hate me! I swear, you do everything in your power to hold me back!"

"Son, stop! You're about to say something you'll regret, and I can't protect you then," Howard tried to warn him, knowing that the man guiding the horses was quite easily listening in on their whole conversation thanks to Tony's shouting.

Tony sighed his frustration. He hated needing to be careful, needing to hide his true nature. "No, father, let it be fucking known that I'm a freak. I use magic, dad, get used to it. I don't want to hide it anymore!"

The carriage came to a sudden stop as Tony finished. The fire burning in him quickly ran out as a cold realization hit. They were found out.

The man leading the carriage was gone in the blink of an eye just as the roof magically lifted away on a wave of red. "Tony, get out of here!" Howard shouted as members of the military were now visible once the roof was gone. The boy tried to rush out of the carriage, stumbling to the ground. He barely had enough time to get back to his feet and jump away from the metal blade swinging at him. Tony ran from the assailant, stopping when he heard his father's voice. He turned to see the soldier set his boot on Howard's chest to help him pull the dripping sword out of the man's stomach before slicing his throat. "Dad!" Tony cried, but there was nothing he could do. The soldier looked over at him as civilians screamed.

Tony stared back, only vaguely aware that the chaos of the moment was not limited to just them, men of the respectable army on a killing spree. He felt cold, frozen in place as the man marched forward. Tony started running again; he was going to escape!

"Ah!!"

He fell to the ground after being struck in the back. He hadn't realized that there had been another so close. Tony could feel his clothes dampening from the blood. He had to get up, had to fight back. Pulling off a glove, he conjured up enough electrical energy to zap the attacker in the chest, sending them down.

Tony gasped for breath as he shakily stood; the solder from before, the man that had just killed his father, was at him now, wildly swinging his sword at the boy. Tony managed to block with his arm for the first blow, but he wasn't a fighter, and the soldier's second swing slashed open his chest. The teen frantically held his bare hand in front of him as his gloved one covered the fresh wound, and he tried to back away. "B-back," he weakly stated to the soldier, "or I'll... k-k-kill you..." The man stopped following him a moment before he was hit again by yet another, the force knocking him to the ground.

This was it.

"Are you the one? Is this your trickery?" demanded the soldier that was now on him. Tony couldn't answer, could only stare back as he saw the fear growing in the young man's blue eyes, bright red glowing at the edges.

And everything was black.

 

* * *

 

Bucky licked his lips as he watched the street full of people. There had been a threat made on the city so he couldn't be with Steve on his 'big day', no matter how much he really wanted to be. He looked down at his hands, wondering if the smaller man was okay. Were they treating him right, like a person and not a science experiment? Bucky couldn't stop the worrying he was feeling, the fear that something would go very, very wrong. He couldn't lost Steve. He was all Bucky had left in the world.

"Hey," he heard, looking up from his perch on the stone wall to see Brock Rumlow. This man was in charge of their team. "You're getting distracted. We need everyone focused on the job at hand. If people get hurt because you were daydreaming, it's all on you."

"Won't happen, boss," Bucky sighed, turning his head to watch the people on the street once more. They heard the clopping of hooves nearing them. Bucky noticed Brock begin to tense until the carriage passed by, unbothered. "Do you know something, Rumlow?"

"You never know what could be hiding in one of those," the other murmured. "Could be a bomb... a _user_ ," he spat, "would be even worse than that."

"User, you mean like magic."

"Exactly, Barnes. You know how disgusting they are, right?"

Bucky didn't answer him.

Another carriage began to pass, but then halted in front of them. Bucky jumped to his feet just as a red cloud began to play at the edge of his vision. _'You have to fight'_ , a woman's voice whispered to him. _'They need you... Fight... Defend your city like a good soldier.'_ He felt disoriented, his mind clouding. He needed to close his eyes; it was like he had just been drugged. "Rumlow...?" he heard himself asking, his own voice sounding so far away in his own ears. He didn't get a response, and as he opened his eyes, he quickly learned why.

An entire army had descended upon them. Shouting sounded like whispers, screams like a quiet hiss in the wind. "Dad!" he heard someone cry out, but wasn't sure where it was coming from. He took up his sword, fighting alongside his teammates. He could feel the blood splattering his face, the cold dampness after the warmth had gone.

_'Kill them all.'_

Bucky froze. There was an error in his vision. It wasn't just the red fog, but these men... His eyes were starting to see through the illusionary magic. Half of the men were growing more transparent while the others were trying to escape.

_'You must kill them all!'_

"Who are you?" he whispered to the voice's owner.

Someone ran past him; he wasn't going to be fooled, swinging his trusted blade and striking them down. He leapt onto the struggling person. "Are you the one?" he demanded, the tip of his blade at the person's throat. "Is this your trickery?"

The fog's effects began to falter further, reality and fantasy dancing together in his eyes, but he could tell enough now to realize his grave mistake. Underneath him was the young Stark, bloodied and critically injured, his body ravaged by deep wounds.

Bucky needed to focus. He quickly checked the young man's pulse; still alive, but that could change too soon. "Please don't die on me," Bucky told the youth, looking him over. There was too much blood to find the actual openings, and too many wounds to try to stop the bleeding. He had to move him _now_.

The red fog threatened a return, his body wanting to surrender to its effects, but Bucky fought it with everything in him. "Hey," came a voice beside him, and he saw... Brock? "I can get him to safety if you just hand him over to me."

"No," Bucky told the imposter. He could see through the fog enough to know that no, this was not Brock. Underneath the illusion was a silver-haired young man, very much unlike his darker-haired leader. "I'll get him help... you just... help out here." He quickly lifted the young Stark, looking at the chaos around them with fresher eyes, all of the injured civilians, but then he soon spotted Howard Stark on the ground, his bloodied form unmoving. Bucky had to swallow down the nausea that hit him. He and his team had been used for a hit on the Stark family, by magic users. These people had special gifts like himself, but they were proving society's stereotypical view on them right. Bucky had only joined his nation's military because he had no other choice except for medic, but he ran a higher risk of being found out then. It wasn't like he _wanted_ to fight his own kind, but after this...

He carried the young Stark away from the bloodshed, protectively cradling his head, though he feared the teen would bleed out in his arms. Bucky's legs ached as they carried them through town. He wasn't sure who he could trust, who might be real or not, who wanted this young man dead or who wanted him to live. He ran them all the way to the nearest clinic, crashing through the door. "Help!" he shouted with his last breath before falling against the wall.

An older man, Bucky guessed him to be perhaps the head of the clinic, ran over, straightening his glasses as he looked over the young man in Bucky's arms. "What happened to him?" he wondered before a couple others hurried the gurney over. They moved the teen onto it and started rolling him out of the room while the older man turned to Bucky. "What do you know?" he asked him.

"His... his injuries... w-were caused by a... military blade," Bucky tried to quickly explain while trying to catch his breath.

"Why was he attacked by the military?"

"It was... a mistake...! I swear! W-we were... tricked by magic!" He needed to do something but he didn't know what, the sudden lack of activity leaving him anxious.

"Wait, a user did this?" Bucky was asked, the man sounding shocked. "But they only want --"

"Master Yinsen, you're needed _now_ ," one of the other medics called to him, tearing his attention away from Bucky as he followed them out of the room.

Once Bucky was alone, he realized just how numb he felt. They had tried to put an end to the Stark family by using the country's military as their tool for murder. He wondered if Brock was able to break through their magic like he had, what they could do to prevent this from happening again.

"Oh gods, Steve... what are we getting ourselves into?" he whispered. His best friend had joined the military to do good. He was changing himself forever to reach that goal he had. How would he feel when Bucky broke the news to him that the military would no longer have a good reputation amongst the people after they learned of Howard Stark's death? Bucky wasn't even sure if the man's son would survive this.

He stared over at the door that the medics had disappeared through with the young man's broken body. "Please live, Stark... Please..."

 

* * *

 

 

Thank you for reading!

[You can find me on tumblr!](http://crystallized-iron.tumblr.com/)

Take care!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 2 is here already because it was mostly written out before I had posted chapter 1, and I am too eager to keep this chapter to myself even just for a few more days. Since I have nothing written for chapter 3 yet, please be patient while waiting.
> 
> I am also the co-author of another major story that we will be working on trying to edit after meeting a deadline for a fandom event on tumblr :)
> 
> I hope you will continue to enjoy!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Magic is forbidden. Anyone discovered to be able to use it is, in a best case scenario, imprisoned. Those that realize they have the curse are forced to hide it, or suffer the consequences. However, there are some cases where they feel they must act and risk revealing themselves... while others may simply slip up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tags may change as the story progresses. Characters may be added.
> 
> *Updated tags: character added.

The sky had been dark for over an hour before Bucky finally got home, opening the door to his and Steve's apartment and quietly walking inside. He didn't want to think of what happened anymore, quickly pulling off the stained uniform. That boy had looked so hopeless and broken by the time Bucky had gotten him to the clinic. _Why them?_

He heard a noise and stopped, looking to the kitchen doorway to find... "S-Steve?" He stared at the larger man in his apartment, but that _was_ his best friend's face... "Please tell me that's really you," Bucky whispered.

"It is me, Buck," Steve told him.

"Not a trick... not an illusion..."

"It's real, Bucky," Steve said, stepping up to him, now the taller of the two.

Bucky wrapped his arms around him in a tight hug. "Stevie, I..."

"Woah, Buck. Hey, what's wrong?"

"Users..." He slowly let go of Steve and looked at him. "One of them... maybe more, I don't know... they created an illusion..." Bucky took a breath before he continued, "Civilians got hurt... but the target was the Stark family..."

"What?" Steve asked. "I saw them both earlier for the experiment."

"Howard's dead," Bucky shakily informed him. "I-I almost killed his son..."

"What..." Steve said again. He couldn't believe it. They had both been alive and well and even arguing hours earlier. Now one of them was dead. "H-how... how's Tony?" he had to ask.

"Tony... is that his name? When I left the clinic, they were still working... They started hours ago..."

Steve couldn't believe what he was hearing. How could something like this happen so fast? Who could their enemies be? Howard understandably would have foes due to the serum, but his son Tony? Why go after both of them? Who would benefit?

He could only think of one name, but that would mean the man had connections to users, and it would be difficult to prove.

 

* * *

 

"Yesterday, a great man was murdered," Obadiah Stane shouted to the gathered crowd. They had all come to show their final respects. "Howard Stark was a brilliant man, a terrific scientist, and just as he and Abraham Erskine discovered a way to enhance our own forces in the fight against users, he lost his life to the effects of one."

Steve looked at Bucky as the man went on, wondering how his friend felt about hearing Obadiah's speech. He could see distress in Bucky's face, thinking he was probably feeling even worse deep down.

"They didn't just go after Howard, either. They tried to kill his young son, Anthony Stark, as well. We heard that he survived the attack." The cheering in the crowd made Obadiah pause for a brief moment. "Now, hold on. I wouldn't be cheering just yet," he said. "His injuries are too severe to ever live a normal life again, _if_ he wakes up. The medics have all said that we're at a 'wait and see' stage, and there's a high possibility he may still die."

"I didn't wake up soon enough," Bucky whispered, the guilt heavy in his voice.

"It wasn't your fault, Bucky," Steve tried telling him.

"But it was," Bucky replied.

In front of the crowd, Obadiah continued, "We were maybe too soft on the users. We only defended when we could have gone on the offensive. Now they are using our own people against us. _Our_ military attacked the Starks because of a user that altered their reality. And not only was Howard murdered, and his son now barely clinging to life, but many others were injured during the chaos! We have to go out there and take them out _before_ they can destroy _us_!" There were shouts of support for Obadiah's call to action. "If you agree that we need to start pushing back and wiping them out, make sure you let Lord Pierce know! Shout it out loud and clear! Send him your letters! We won't sit back and let them keep invading us any longer!"

More shouting erupted as Obadiah finished. Bucky swallowed, not sure how he should feel. The hatred against the gifted was gaining strength. How much longer could he keep himself hidden?

"Bucky?" Steve tried, worried about his friend's condition. When Bucky turned to him, all Steve could see was the growing fear in his eyes. He pulled his friend in close. "Bucky," he breathed, "Bucky, Bucky, what is it? What's wrong?"

"I..." He couldn't admit it to Steve. He just couldn't get him involved in this kind of mess. If Bucky got found out... "Just... what he said, about us? Invading them?" He was terrified of what Steve's opinion on it would be.

"Bucky, it's okay. We'll be together, right?"

_Please don't kill me..._

"Bucky?"

"R-right," he shakily agreed, looking away from Steve. "We'll be... together..."

 

* * *

 

Alexander Pierce casually looked over the stacks of letters on his desk the following week, could still hear the screaming in the streets for their voices to be heard, demanding that the users pay for the death of Howard Stark and the, still classified as, attempted killing of his son Anthony. He grinned, almost too happy of the outcome. "Well done, Obadiah," he said out loud, setting his glass beside the stack. It was almost too easy, really.

He turned to the door as he heard it open, seeing the young twins. "You two," he said to them, "you're both lucky I haven't had you locked up after your failure."

"He saw through it," the girl argued, but Alexander waved his hand at her and she stopped.

"That young man is stronger than most then. Pietro, do you know his name?"

"The mole says his name is James but he goes by Bucky," the boy explained, adding, "Should have had the mole take Anthony when the illusion broke..."

"Now that I agree with," Alexander said, sitting at his desk, "but it's too late now. If we tried attacking again, people would start catching on."

"What do you suggest?"

Alexander thought about it. "Obadiah seems to be doing well so far, we can have him figure it out. In fact, with Howard out of the picture, he can do whatever he wants with the boy."

The twins looked at each other, neither willing to inform the man of what they had learned about the young Stark boy while watching his attempt to flee. "What do you want us to do then?" the girl asked Alexander after turning their attention back to him.

"Obadiah needs a test subject, and since you are the one that failed --"

"I'll do it," the boy interrupted him. "My sister is more useful than just a test subject."

Alexander eyed him quietly before saying, "Yes she is. Alright then. Pietro, you will be sent to Obadiah's lab. Wanda, you will return to the manor until a decision is made."

They both nodded to him before leaving. Alexander took his glass back up and brought it to his lips. If his people wanted a war, he would give them one.

 

**Two Weeks Later**

 

It was a sweet smell, maybe floral? He slowly opened his eyes, seeing a pretty redhead humming a cute melody as she filled a vase with water for yellow and red flowers. It was a really interesting combination and he couldn't help staring at them for a few minutes until the girl looked to him with a small gasp. "Oh my goodness, you're awake!" she exclaimed as she hurried over, stopping herself before she could touch him. "Sorry... germaphobe, right?"

"What...?" he asked, the simple word sending pain through his entire body. He tried moving, the girl's hand hovering over him, not sure what to do.

"Um," she said, "I'm pretty sure I'm not supposed to touch you, but I do need to tell you to stop moving, okay? You're still recovering."

"Recovering... from what...?"

"The... attack... You mean you don't remember?" she asked him. When he tried moving again, she put her hand on his shoulder. "Tony, stop."

"How... do you know... my name...?" he wondered. "And don't touch me..."

She pulled her hand away from him. "I'm sorry, but you really need to stop. And I thought you would freak out more."

"Yeah, everyone does..." Tony sighed. He winced as he tried to get more comfortable again. "M-my chest... _hurts_."

"Yes, well, you did get major surgery done on you in order to save your life."

Looking up at her, he hesitantly inquired, "What was done to me...?"

"Your injuries... they were too serious for a simple patch job," the girl explained to him, sitting in a chair next to his bed. "Master Yinsen did what he could."

"What he... could...?" Tony wasn't sure if he wanted to know anymore.

"Your heart is weak, Tony... I don't know what he did, but he managed to save your life with... a... device of some kind. I'm sorry, I'm not a medic, I don't know."

Tony looked down at the sheet over his body, noticing the the oddly shaped lump over his chest. "Do I want to know...?" he whispered to his kind visitor.

She quietly shook her head. "I'm really sorry, Tony."

"Hey, um..." He looked at her again, curious. "What's your name...? I-I mean, you're... really nice... and you... don't have to be..."

With a gentle smile, the girl answered, "My name is Pepper. Pepper Potts."

"Pepper... That is... a really c-cute... cute name."

"And you, Tony, still need to rest."

"I know... How's..." He stopped as he started remembering the military attack on him and his father. "He's dead..." he told himself.

Pepper frowned but nodded. "They're saying that it was a user that caused your father's death. They created an illusion, realistic enough that no one could see through it."

"Except for one..." Tony pointed out. "H-he saved my life... What was his name...?"

"I don't know. I'm sorry."

"Can you... find out...?"

Pepper smiled at him again as she said, "I will get right on that for you."

"Wait," he stopped her when she tried to leave. "Please... d-don't leave... not yet..."

She sat back down again, still hesitant about touching him but wanting to show him comfort somehow. "Tony, may I touch you? Would that be alright?"

"Yeah," he told her, relaxing as her fingers went into his hair. "Mm... Keep doing that... please..."

"Sure," she said, continuing to play with his hair, watching as he fell back asleep. He looked so peaceful like this, how could anyone want to hurt him? Pepper waited a little longer, making sure Tony was in a deep sleep before she tried standing up again, quietly going to the door. She looked back at him one last time and then stepped outside, hoping to find someone that could give her the name of the soldier that had saved this boy's life.

 

* * *

 

 

Thank you for reading!

You can check me out at [my tumblr](http://crystallized-iron.tumblr.com/)!

I do prompt fills there, but usually set in our "Lost and Found" universe (see my works page)

I'm always hoping for [asks](http://crystallized-iron.tumblr.com/ask)! ^_^

Take care, everyone! Have a wonderful start of May!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I managed to get enough written for an update so I'm posting now. I don't know if I would be up for it for awhile after tomorrow.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tags may change as the story progresses. Characters may be added.
> 
> Sorry for the long wait! I did not mean for this to take a month. Remember, if you get stuck, it is okay to start over. (Luckily I write in a notebook first because I went back and the first part ended up being the end of the chapter instead)
> 
> Find me on tumblr so we can talk headcanons and stuff!

He stared at his reflection, fingers cautiously running along the pump being held in place by a metal brace around his chest. Pepper silently watched him from the chair. She had been surprised earlier when she found him standing. "Tony," she quietly said, hoping to distract him long enough to get him back to bed, "you need to rest."

"What... is this..." But he knew. Tony wasn't an idiot. This poorly crafted thing, obviously a rush job, was managing to keep him alive, but for how long? Fingers now tracing over scratches on the brace itself, he had a frightening thought; just how sterile was this contraption? "I'm going to die from infection, aren't I?" He tried to make it sound like a joke, but the concern was very real.

"Master Yinsen knows what he's doing," Pepper tried assuring him, "but you were a very unexpected case. He did what he could."

"Power source..." he murmured, looking for something, anything, but not seeing any of the usual suspects.

"I don't know," he heard Pepper answer, the creaky protest of the chair sounding before he realized she was right beside him. "He said he was trying something new."

He didn't move, trying to figure it out. All he could hear was the pumping, a sound he would need to get used to. He would need to see it, every day, praying nothing got in to cause an infection, would need to constantly clean around it, keep people away, protect it at all costs...

"Tony," Pepper tried, reaching out to him, but he quickly flinched away. She had been allowed to touch him until now, and she knew it had to do with realizing just how vulnerable he was. She didn't try reaching out again. "Please lie down, let your body rest."

"I can't sleep, I... If something gets in, I wouldn't..."

"Tony, you can discuss it with Master Yinsen later," she told him.

He turned back to the mirror, staring at it. How much more of him did they need to break in order to save his life? The pump was nestled in the center of his chest. His eyes could easily follow the scarring left by the military blades, and then there were others, probably from the medics themselves. "I don't want this."

"But it's keeping you alive, Tony."

"I don't care, I don't want this."

"Tony, stop," she said, getting a hand on his shoulder. She waited for him to pull away again but when he didn't, she continued. "I get that you're scared -"

"Not scared," he grumbled.

"Stop. Why can't you be happy that you're alive and leave it at that?"

"Right, sure, happy that I became someone else's science experiment, happy that my father was murdered but I was saved and not him, happy, happy, happy," he growled at her.

They both paused when the door opened, Master Yinsen stepping inside. "Tony," he said, facing him fully, "you should be in bed."

"What did you do to me?" the teenaged boy asked him.

"I saved your life, obviously."

"This _thing_..."

"Is keeping your heart from failing," Yinsen finished for him. "I have been working on a better solution with a couple of colleagues of mine, though. You do not need to be so panicky; it is bad for your health."

"No more open cavity in my fucking chest?" Tony hoped.

"That I cannot promise," the medic replied only to receive a frustrated sigh from Tony. "This is very difficult work, young man."

"The military scientists can figure out a better way," Tony argued, Pepper trying to lead him back to the bed.

"And you think they care about medical technology?" Yinsen questioned him. "We are two different worlds. Your father had the chance to make real change for our field with that serum, but instead they decide to turn a man into a weapon, for money." He watched Tony sit down. "I don't mean to speak negatively of the dead, but he made his choices... and now his decisions could cost you so much more than that money is worth. If he had gone into the medical field, maybe you would be better off now."

Tony looked at his hands, his fingers twisting as he thought. "If I can gain control of Stark Industries," he slowly said, lifting his eyes to meet Yinsen's, "I might be able to help you."

"Those that work under your name might not appreciate your new direction," Yinsen warned him. "You could end up alone."

Reaching for the pump again, fingers feeling the scratches, Tony answered, "This is the right choice, I know it is. I won't be the only one that benefits."

With a quiet nod, Yinsen told him, "Then you'll need to convince Stane."

"What..."

"Obadiah Stane is currently in charge of Stark Industries," Pepper informed him.

"My father's... will..."

"It named him as the inheritor," said Yinsen.

Tony's hand dropped. He had been right all along. His father never planned on giving him the company. Why would he? Tony wasn't normal, he knew it, understood it, but still he had hoped that maybe, maybe his father had simply not cleared the air with him. Now, all of those hopes were disappearing.

"I need to talk to him; Obadiah."

 

* * *

 

The screams seemed to come from every hall, though Brock knew that wasn't true. He had come to talk with Obadiah about the next step now that it was known that the young Anthony Stark was going to survive. He didn't want to know his punishment for not getting the job done. How was he supposed to know that one of his men could withstand Miss Maximoff's terrifying gift?

Heavy steps sounded behind him. "Mr. Rumlow," he heard as Obadiah circled around him to reach the desk. He was in a lab coat, once white but now stained with a variety of dull colors, most noticeably the brown of dried blood, speckled here and there.

"Sir..."

"So... everybody's heard the news, right? Little Anthony lives, and not only is he living, but walking too!" Obadiah turned to Brock. "You know, you're lucky you're so visible in the military. People will ask questions if you just disappear."

"I can tell you which of my men saved the little brat," Brock stated.

Obadiah lowered his arms. "Alright." Stepping into Brock's personal space, he asked him, "Who is it then?"

"James Buchanan Barnes, sir, he goes by Bucky."

"Bucky? What kind of a name is Bucky?"

"That's just what he prefers, sir," Brock answered him.

"Well, thanks for giving me a name anyway. You know, Lord Pierce is actually very interested in him; tell Bucky that, he'll be having an audience with him very soon."

"Of course, sir."

"Good. You are dismissed, Rumlow."

Brock left the room without another word, trying to ignore the grotesque sounds he heard, the agonized screams, begging for mercy. "Barnes, you were a good man," he muttered as he walked, "but it just cost you everything."


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait!  
> [Follow me on tumblr!](http://crystallized-iron.tumblr.com/)

James Rhodes stood outside the clinic, mentally preparing himself to see what had happened to his friend. Howard's death had been hard to accept, but if Tony had died too, James wasn't sure what he'd do. It would be like losing a brother, not just a friend. He wasn't prepared for that.

“Will you be coming inside?” an older man asked him from the door. “You've been standing there for so long, we're starting to wonder.”

“Yeah, sorry. My friend's in there…” James explained. “I don't know… what to expect, I guess.”

“Come on in.” The man's words were gentle, and James couldn't refuse now, entering the clinic. It felt a little cramped and he began to wonder how many patients this place could accommodate while they recovered. “Are you here to see Anthony?” the man asked him.

“Yeah, I am, actually; how'd you know?”

“He is currently the only patient here, and I must say, he is a talkative one.”

“Yep, that's Tony,” James said as a grin crept to his lips. “How is he handling everything?”

“Not too well. He's getting anxiety over the pump; understandably, but he won't heal if he can't rest.”

“Wait… What pump?”

The man, Yinsen he finally introduced himself as, carefully explained what they had to do to ensure Tony's survival. He told James about the seriousness of Tony's injuries, how the boy nearly bled out as they worked. It was a miracle he survived.

“Thank you for saving him,” James quietly and gratefully told him in the end.

Yinsen nodded with a sigh. “We did what we could for him. Our equipment is lacking, though. We simply don't get funding like the military does.”

“You'll probably be getting even less now with everyone ready to go to war with these fucking users… Military will be going in when we get the order.”

Giving James a hard look, Yinsen simply stated, “The magic users are not wanting war.”

“Yeah, and how would you know?” James wondered, not in the mood for argument.

“Do you tell your friend how you feel about users?” the older man asked.

“I've got no reason to hide it.”

“I see…”

Hesitantly, because now he was starting to worry, James swallowed and asked him, “Why did you ask?” The way the medic was speaking about users and then wanting to if James told Tony about his opinion meant something, he knew it.

“Talk to your friend. Ask him his views. He may surprise you.”

James nodded as Yinsen led him down a hall. It was quiet except for the soft murmuring of other medics, stopping their chats to watch the two men pass. Stopping in front of a door, Yinsen knocked a few times. “Tony, are you decent? Your friend has come to see you.”

“Rhodey??” came the surprised voice from inside.

Opening the door, Yinsen let James inside, allowing the two of them some privacy. James looked Tony over as the boy sat up on the bed, before glancing over to the young woman tending to the flowers in the window. “Are you busy?” he asked his friend.

“Oh, she’s just, flower helper,” Tony said, actually beginning to blush.

“Flower helper, huh?” she repeated, giving him a look. “You have a wonderful way with words, don’t you, Tony?”

“Sorry. Her name is Pepper and she’s really a great girl, keeping me from going too crazy,” Tony started to ramble.

“You’re still going too crazy,” Pepper teased him. “Want me to leave you two alone?”

“If you don’t mind it, miss,” James told her.

“Alright then. I’ll be back later, Tony,” she said, stepping out into the hall.

“Sure thing, Pepp,” he called after her, watching James as the door was shut. “So… sounds like the military is going to be busy, huh?”

“You already know, huh?” James came over, sitting in the chair by Tony’s bed. He eyed the obvious lump under his friend’s shirt. “And is that…”

“The thing keeping me alive, yeah… It… It’s really freaking me out… They suggested maybe not looking at it, but I can still hear it, feel it, I know it’s there, Rhodey, I can’t stop thinking about it, if something happens…”

“Tony, Tony, stop… Relax… Is it really that bad…?” he whispered to him.

After a nod, Tony very carefully removed his shirt, revealing to James just what was necessary for his survival. James could only stare; how did they even get that thing on him? He could hear the pumping now as their silence filled the room, could understand what Tony had meant. “How are you alive…”

“Luck, I guess…” Pulling the shirt back on, he added, “I want to talk to Stane about funding this place.”

“Yeah, I… I see why. More money, maybe they could do something better than… this.”

Tony nodded to him. “I need something better. I don’t know how long I’ll survive if it’s left this way. I might not even make it to my twentieth birthday.”

“Just a few years… Gods, something has to be done,” James murmured.

“If Stane doesn’t allow for extra funding, I… I might have to think of something else,” Tony sighed. “Yinsen knows the medical side, maybe… maybe I can figure out the tech side… perfect it.”

“If the users find out,” James began to say, but stopped himself. Remembering Yinsen’s words, he looked Tony in the eye and asked him, “Tony, what’s your opinion on magic users?”

Startled by the question, Tony watched him for a few minutes, wondering if it was a trick. When nothing else was said, he answered, “I think… I think we can find a way to… peacefully co-exist.”

“Why do you think that?”

“Because it’s just like with regular people… some are bad, some are alright. We’re getting attacked by the bad, and they’re probably a small number compared to the rest,” Tony tried explaining to him. “I don’t want our people to go to war with them. It’s unnecessary.”

“They tried to kill you,” James argued.

“They’re a small number, I’m sure of it.”

James took a moment to breathe so he wouldn’t get too caught up in his own feelings. “Tony…” All the years they had known each other, James never thought his friend would have a soft spot for these…

He paused. There was a reason behind this. “Are you one of them…?”

“Rhodey…”

“Please, Tony, please just answer me. Be honest with me. Are you one of them?”

Tony didn’t want it to come out like this, but if he could maybe get Rhodey on his side, maybe have someone he didn’t need to lie to anymore, if he could just be himself around him…

“Yeah I am…”


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to the new commenters! This chapter is for you!
> 
> [Find me on tumblr!](http://crystallized-iron.tumblr.com/)

That admission was something that James hadn't expected to hear. His own friend, someone he thought he could call a brother, was a magic user and he didn't know if he could handle it. Maybe not right now, but it was already too late. His reaction was going to determine what their friendship would become.

But what could he say? What would be right after the years of him spitting out so much hate and vile about magic users? Gods, how did Tony feel every time he even started a rant against them? He had always just nodded along, quietly agreeing with whatever James said.

“You…  _ are _ … a user…?” James asked him, praying that it was a misunderstanding.

Tony lightly licked his lips before looking away. It had finally come out. “I am…” The two words felt almost like a death sentence. Was his best friend going to arrest him? Abandon him?

“Why did you never tell me?” James wanted to know.

“How could I…? You want all of us out of the country or dead, right?”

“But I didn't know that you were -”

“And why does it matter if I am or not?” Tony demanded. “Rhodey, users are still people, we're still  _ human _ , why is that so hard to understand? We're born from humans, it's just… I don’t know, maybe… maybe we're a step up…”

“A step up? So you do think your kind is better,” James cut in.

“No, no, no! Rhodey, no. That's not it at all.”

“Then what is it?”

Staring up at him, Tony said, “I don't know. I honestly don't know. I wish I could explain it, Rhodey, but I can't. It's just this thing that happened to us at birth and we realize it at a point in our youth.”

Rhodey sighed, rubbing his head. This was already… First he nearly lost his friend to murder, found out he had a fucking machine of some kind keeping him alive, and now… now… “Tony, what am I going to do about this?” he whispered.

“You're going to do nothing,” Tony told him. “Tell no one. Pepper doesn't even know.”

“That guy in charge… he knows about you.”

“Yinsen does?”

“Yeah… He asked me if I told you my opinion on them, that maybe I would be surprised by yours.”

“How did he…” Tony began, the surprise clearly on his face. “Did I… try using it while he…” His fingers went up under his shirt to trace the scratches on the brace.

“What is it?” James softly asked him. “Your power, I mean.”

“It's, um… It's light. Well, it can be. It's… energy,” he tried explaining. “You know that guinea pig guy? I had to shock him back to life after they injected him.”

“And I'm guessing they didn't think it would happen?”

“Guess not. But he's alive… and big… and… attractive.” He stopped himself from continuing when he saw James raise a brow at him. “What?”

“Oh, nothing really, but I thought you didn't like him that much,” James commented. “And what about that girl that was in here, Pepper? Looked like you were interested.” It was an easier conversation than Tony’s confession, and James was glad that his friend was going along with it. He still needed time to process what he had just learned, and what he was going to do, if he would be loyal to his career, or to his brother.

“Okay, can you keep a secret?” Tony asked before continuing. “Maybe I am interested in her, and maybe I am attracted to his now super-amazing body, but I wouldn't have a shot with either.”

“And why do you say that?”

“Rhodey, be honest, would you date someone that needed this to survive every day?” Tony gestured to the pump. “Pretty sure they wouldn't want to deal with it.”

“I can't speak for him, but if she doesn't want to deal with it, why is she here?”

“My guess is she's getting paid to be here.”

Shaking his head, James just sighed again, a little more dramatically this time. “Tony, Tony, Tony… she would be paid to do the bare minimum. Everything else is because she wants to. Like that teasing when I arrived? I doubt she's paid to do that with you. Maybe try something, huh?”

“Rhodey, I can't, I'm a patient.”

“So she's a medic?”

“Well… no, but…”

“You just don't want to try because you're too caught up in what you think of your situation, right? Projecting your thoughts onto her.”

Tony just rolled his eyes. “Right, right, sure.”

“Am I wrong?”

“No,” Tony muttered. He just didn't want to hear that kind of rejection. The pump was a part of his life now and any significant other would need to be able to handle the fact that he wasn't so invulnerable, that something could easily happen and he may lose his life, just like that. He didn't want to experience that pain, and certainly didn't want anyone else suffering as they watched him die. If it wasn't necessary, maybe he would try courting her, maybe one day marriage. “I don't want to do that to her.”

“Tony, you're not doing anything to her. Just maybe ask her, huh? Try.”

“You really think I should, huh?”

“Unless you're not actually interested,” said James. “Then don't worry about it.”

“Do you really think she'd bother with me?”

“Tony, again, she does stuff because she wants to, not because she has to,” James tried telling him. “Talk to her about it later.”

“Okay… I will.”

“You mean it?” James had to ask him, a grin tugging at his lips.

“Yes, yes, I will,” Tony sighed, showing more dramatics than James had earlier. “And then, dear friend, you must be there to clean up the pieces of my broken heart.”

“Sure I will, if it comes to it,” James agreed, “but I really don’t think you have to worry.”

“Yeah, yeah, you go ahead and keep thinking that, and then reality will come in -”

“And prove me right.”

Tony shook his head but smiled at him. “So… are we good?”

There was a silent moment as James thought his answer over, and knew what he had to do, what he had to say, and with an eventual nod, stated, “Yeah… Yeah, Tony, we’re good.”

“Good.”

James gave him a last smile before he stood. “I should maybe… head off.”

“Oh…” Tony didn’t want to admit how much he was going to miss James already. He hated being stuck here. “Hey, could you send Pepper back in then? Please?”

“Sure thing… Later, Tony.”

“Bye, Rhodey…”

As James walked out and closed the door, he found Pepper waiting just outside. “Hey,” he said, narrowing his eyes, “you weren’t listening in, were you?”

“Of course not,” she told him. “I can’t believe you would even think that I would.”

“But you were right outside.”

“In case of emergency,” she explained. “If I needed to get Master Yinsen in a hurry. You don’t know where he is most of the time, I do. So please stop trying to accuse me of something.”

“Alright, alright,” James said, hands up in surrender. “I’m sorry. After what happened to him, though, I think I have a right to worry.”

She nodded, saying, “Apology accepted. And I know, but please. We’re only trying to help here.” Pepper watched him turn to leave. “When you get a chance, could you please get a James Buchanan Barnes to stop by?”

“He’s the one, right?” James slowly looked back at her.

“Yes he is,” she answered. “Tony really wants to meet him.”

“I’ll see what I can do,” he said as he left.

Pepper watched after him, hoping that Tony would finally get something he really wanted for once.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A Lie to Live is now posting on tumblr and is updated on Saturdays at around midnight (Eastern Time Zone, USA) under "crystallized-iron".

His sword rested in its sheath on his hip. He couldn’t stay in hiding at home anymore. Bucky was honestly surprised when he was allowed temporary leave to recover from the madness that had left Master Stark dead and so many others injured, including his son Anthony.

The boy nearly died in Bucky’s arms that day.

Bucky shook his head, trying to get the memory out. He didn’t want to think about it again! Already the guilt was trying to control his life, force him into isolation. It almost worked but he still had Steve by his side, pushing him every day to just survive. Anthony was alive. Bucky saved his life. It was going to be okay.

“So you’re back, huh?” he heard Brock ask him.

“Yeah…” Bucky answered, but his voice trembled. “I couldn’t stay away forever, could I?”

“No you couldn’t.” Brock looked the young man over, noting how tired he looked, his body beginning to look thinner. How long would it take to break him at this point? “Someone’s been wanting to speak to you about what happened with the Stark kid.”

Sighing, Bucky turned his eyes downward. “I’m not surprised, honestly… I don’t know what else I could tell them though.”

“Lord Pierce still has questions for you.”

“Pierce?” Bucky could understand if someone higher in rank wanted to discuss the situation with him, maybe ask how he could see through the spell, but Lord Alexander Pierce himself wanted to speak with him? “What does he want to know?”

“I have no idea,” Brock said, “but you can’t refuse. You know that, right? No one says no to him.”

“Do I have to go alone?”

“Yes.”

There was no pause, no thinking on it. He couldn’t take Steve with him. Bucky had to face this man alone, and it truly scared him. Pierce was about to lead a war against users. If there was a way he could find out the truth about Bucky…

Maybe it would be okay. Maybe he just wanted to know if there was a way he could help the other men see through such magic, find the cracks in the illusions.

Bucky doubted that would be the case, but what else could he hope for?

“When…?” he finally asked.

“Now, if you’re ready.”

“So soon? I just got back.”

“He’s been waiting a long time for you,” Brock told him. “Keep him waiting any longer and you might be in deeper trouble than you are already.”

“Trouble… How am I in trouble…?”

“It was your blade that almost killed young Stark.”

“You fell for it too,” Bucky reminded him. “So did the other men. I wasn’t the first to hit him. So why am I being singled out…?”

“Because you broke out of it.” Brock backed up a step, waiting for him. “Let’s go, Barnes.”

Bucky slowly breathed, then followed Brock down the hall.

* * *

The sun had already set by the time Steve arrived home, tired after a long day. He opened the door, finding the small apartment dark. Did Bucky not get home yet? Did he somehow beat him there? But the other men had all said Bucky was already long gone when Steve went looking for him.

Walking through the apartment, Steve checked the rooms. There was no sign of Bucky, nothing to say that he had even stepped foot inside since they both left earlier in the day. It didn’t feel right.

 _Maybe he met up with someone._ But who would he be meeting if not Steve? Especially after he had tried to push everyone he knew away. There was no way Bucky would recover so quickly after one day out of the apartment, spending most of it on the job. Something else had to have happened to him. Steve didn’t want to think too negatively on it, but after the attack on the Starks…

* * *

**The Next Morning**

Tony fixed the cuff of his sleeve while James kept a careful watch on him, worried about anything happening to the brace underneath. He was finally going home.

There was a light knock at his door. “Tony, are you ready for visitors?”

“Sure thing, Pepper,” he called back, looking over at James. “Don’t say anything weird?”

“Now what could I possibly say to her that would be weird?” James wondered. “Afraid I’ll say something about your little crush on her?”

“Please don’t…” Tony stopped as the door opened and Pepper stepped inside. “Uh, hey.”

“Hello,” she said to him. “Ready to return home?”

“Guess so… I will talk to Stane about funding,” he promised.

“Just don’t be too upset if he does nothing,” Pepper told him.

“Tony doesn’t like to give up too easily,” James spoke up. “Also, if he doesn’t mind…”

“I said don’t,” Tony tried to stop him but James only continued saying, “He has a crush on you, Pepp, but he’s a little on the shy end.”

“Oh, does he?” she asked, smiling playfully at Tony, softly laughing at the blush that colored his cheeks. “Looks like he’s telling the truth, Tony.”

“Fine, okay, I do,” he admitted. “I really like you, Pepper, but I’m -”

“An idiot,” James finished. “He believes no one would ever want to be with him because of his medical condition.”

“Well… I know some about how to handle that,” Pepper said as she walked up to Tony. “It doesn’t bother me much.”

“But it does bother you…” Tony murmured.

“Only because of how much it bothers you, and yes, I worry about possible infections too, but if you’re careful, you should be okay.”

“So will you date him?” James questioned.

“I will if he actually asks me.”

They both looked to Tony.

“Alright…” Tony sighed. “Pepper, would you please…”

She smiled at him. “Yes, Tony, I would.”

* * *

Obadiah Stane sighed. Today was the day that Anthony Stark was returning home, to a property Obadiah had rightfully inherited through Howard's will, along with Stark Industries. Tony was supposed to die with his father that day. Obadiah didn’t want to babysit the little germaphobe. He had enough to worry about already without a teenaged brat around, but guardianship was falling to him.

Was there anything useful he could use the boy for?

The door to his office opened, and in walked Tony, his shirt covering a suspicious lump. It must be the thing keeping him alive. “Tony, you’re looking well,” Obadiah said.

“Do I? You’re Stane, right? Listen, I heard what my father’s will said, but could you maybe, please, please let me have the company?” Tony tried right away.

Obadiah stared at him. “I don’t think so. Your father knew what he was doing when he left it to me. I know where the company is going, you do not, you never wanted to know.”

“I have other uses for it,” Tony explained. “Please.”

“No.”

Tony sighed, folding his arms under the lump. “Okay. Smaller request then. Give funding to the medical field.”

“You have got to be joking.”

“I’m not. They need it, Stane, they barely have anything.”

“Medics get plenty of funding,” Obadiah shot back. “We’re going to war, Stark, the military is going to need everything they can get.”

“Then give more to medical, they’re going to be needed to help the soldiers when they get injured!”

“These are fucking users they’re dealing with, boy! Do you have any idea what they’re capable of?”

“But for those that don’t get killed, they’re going to need medical attention -”

“And what can our medics do against magical damage?” Obadiah argued. “There’s nothing they can do about it.”

Tony clenched his fists. “Please…” he tried once more.

“I’ll only pay for what _you_ need,” Obadiah promised. “Your wound was physical. But more than that… no.”

Words weren’t going to work. Tony knew that, but there was no other way unless… unless…

He couldn’t become a murderer. He was not going to prove them right about magic users.

* * *

The room Bucky was left in was pitch black. He couldn’t hear anything other than his own breathing, and it was so loud, so deafeningly loud. He wasn’t sure how long he had been in there. He tried counting the minutes in the beginning, but after about fifteen he gave up.

So much for a meeting with Lord Pierce. It was just a cruel punishment.

There was no point in shouting for help, for his release. They knew what they were doing, he was sure. If they planned on letting him out of here, they would have already.

And then the sound of a door opening caught his attention, turning to see the light behind the figure, one with glowing red eyes. A glowing mist of the same color began to drift in from the figure’s fingertips, and Bucky knew.

They locked him in the room with the very user that had altered their reality, the one responsible for the murder of Howard Stark and the near death of his son.

He backed away from them, his back quickly meeting the wall.

 _“We have an important job for you”_ , came a familiar voice. He had heard it during the attack. _“But first, we need to be sure you will obey.”_

“Obey you?” Bucky spat. “You should just kill me instead.”

 _"Careful what you wish for”_ , the voice warned.

The magic filled the room and clouded his vision, but then went deeper, trying to control more than just what he could see. His own healing powers tried to protect him, tried pushing back, but the figure struck again with full force, completely overpowering him.

* * *

Pierce was waiting in his office when she finally walked in. Seeing her panicked face, he asked, “So how did it go?”

“I hit too hard,” she tried to explain, her voice shaking as she spoke. “He tried to resist, and I…”

“Is he still usable?”

“I-I don’t know… He isn’t speaking, isn’t moving…”

“Is he breathing? Is he alive?” Pierce wanted to know. Wanda nodded and he stood. “Then we give him some time to recover. If he turns out to be a vegetable, then we’ll take care of it, find someone else.”

“No. No, I don’t want to do this again, please don’t make me do this to someone else,” Wanda pleaded.

“I don’t care about what you want,” he calmly told her. “Your job is to work for me and do what I say.”

“Lord Pierce, please!”

Turning to her, he stated again, “Your _job_ is to _work for me_. Keep it up and I’ll tell Obadiah to not be so kind to your brother.”

Wanda shut her mouth but still worried. She had never seen someone react so strongly to her magic before. But then she also never went full force, never needing to fight for success over their minds. There was something about this Bucky that was different than the rest, and she worried about what it meant, but she had to follow Pierce’s orders. She had to for Pietro.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry for the several months between updates. I participated in the first stuckony/winterironshield bang with [Trying](https://archiveofourown.org/works/13668645) and started writing a stuckony/winterironshield arranged marriage AU called [Promised Love](https://archiveofourown.org/works/14048619). I've been able to keep weekly updates and decided after Promised Love I would do the same with A Lie to Live to be sure I finish this. Well, instead of waiting, I now have two ongoing chapter stories of my own, while still working on the monster sized fic of [Lost and Found](https://archiveofourown.org/works/9143410) (if you plan on reading, beware the warnings and necessary tagging).
> 
> I hope you continue to enjoy this story and others.


	8. Chapter 8

There was nothing.

There was always nothing.

He heard nothing, saw nothing, felt nothing.

He knew nothing.

But there was a nagging consciousness. He felt anxious with there being nothing, but there was always enough of something for him to know it, to be aware that there was nothing, so he wasn’t dead.

How long was it like this?

How long did forever feel?

Then there was a disturbance, a glimmer of… something. It was a faint flash, it was white, translucent, like a trail of smoke. It began to gain a rhythm, and as he watched, he realized it followed the beating of his heart, and slowly began to grow larger, clearing enough of the black fog in his mind to allow a peek into his surroundings, revealing a dimly lit room. There was a woman with her back to him at the door, looking like she was communicating with someone on the other side.

And the silence was lifted.

He could hear her murmured voice. He could hear the voice of the one she was speaking with.

He heard someone take a shaky breath.

When the woman turned to him, he realized it was his own.

She walked over, the man on the other side stepping into the doorway. A wave of familiarity hit, but he couldn’t quite name the man, couldn’t find a memory of him.

The color red began to taint his vision, clouding things until his thoughts were once again just overly muffled things.  _ ‘You are mine, all mine.’ _

But the muffling was already starting to clear, and then everything flashed red before going black.

And again there was nothing but a vague, barely there consciousness he tried to cling to. He weakly held on, the tingling fear of something worse always a constant. He didn’t know how long this would last.

When the clarity began to slowly take hold again, he found himself in a new room.

He was elevated, but on his back.

The woman was there, watching him. Her hand pushed his hair back.

_ I don’t know if it’s working. _

_ It has to. _

The repeat of red and black.

He had to go through it several more times.

_... Stane said that the boy went back again for a new one because he outgrew the first... _

_... How many more times do I have to do this?... _

_... What will happen when we finally let him wake up?... _

Whispers of conversations between… who…

How long was it between these chats?

How long was…

_ ‘Are you ready, Barnes?’ _

He opened his eyes. The ceiling was the first thing he saw, and then he turned his head to the side, seeing a woman standing there, staring at him. She pushed his hair back. There was no cloudiness.

“Do you remember your name?”

“You… said Barnes…” His voice was low, rough. He didn’t recognize it, but it was the one he used.

“Do you remember your mission?”

“Mission…”

“Protecting and obeying Lord Pierce,” the woman told him. “He will give you instructions, and you are to obey, no questions asked. If he instructs you to obey the commands of another, then you are required to listen to them until that mission is complete.”

Barnes silently listened, not recognizing the name ‘Lord Pierce’.

“If Lord Pierce makes a command while you are obeying another, you are to obey Lord Pierce first.”

“Lord Pierce…”

“Can you sit up?” she asked.

Barnes tried forcing his body to move, getting into a sitting position, but he felt stiff.

The woman looked to the door and nodded, and someone else walked in. Barnes stared at the old man, a faint sense of recognition coursing through, but he couldn’t remember. From the talk he was having with the woman that was there when he woke, he wondered if this was Lord Pierce.

“You look confused,” the man calmly said. “Don’t worry. I am Lord Pierce, you answer to me. Understand?”

Barnes looked to the woman for confirmation and she gave him a nod, stating, “This is Lord Pierce.”

Turning his eyes back to Lord Pierce again, Barnes wondered, “Why must I obey you?”

Lord Pierce turned to the woman with an annoyed glance before returning his gaze to Barnes. “You will obey me unless you want to return to that mental hole you were in for the last few years.” He found no fear of that threat in Barnes’ features, so tried another approach. “If you don’t listen willingly, I do have other ways. Miss Maximoff can force you into submission. She has that ability, you know.”

“Miss Maximoff…”

“Your little friend there,” Lord Pierce explained, gesturing to the woman.

_ The red… _ That had to be what he meant. Barnes didn’t want her controlling him, didn’t want her sending him back to whatever the hole was. He was finally allowed to live again. “I will obey you…”

“Good.” Lord Pierce reached up and tugged at Barnes’ hair. “Hm… maybe a trim would be good for him. Make sure he looks presentable if nothing else.”

“How long do I have with him?” Miss Maximoff asked.

“A few days. Stane will be holding a party to celebrate a victory against your people. Stark is said to be attending. I want Barnes ready in time for that party.”

“What will be the point of trying to kill him now? You let it go for three years.”

“Did I say I will have Barnes kill him now? I don’t believe so.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Want to ready Steve/Bucky/Tony in an Arranged Marriage AU? Check out [Promised Love](https://archiveofourown.org/works/14048619)!


	9. Chapter 9

Tony sighed as he looked himself over in the mirror. He was dressed in a proper suit for once, but the lump over his chest due to the pump didn’t make it appear all that appealing. If anything, he wanted to avoid the public eye. He had just about begged Yinsen for something smaller, less noticeable, but the medic warned that it may lessen the effectiveness, so he was left with another bulky thing.

“Tony,” he heard just outside his door, “are you decent?”

“As decent as I ever am,” Tony answered, not bothering to look when Obadiah opened the door and took a step inside.

“Well. You look… alive.”

Tony rolled his eyes. “I don’t feel like going.”

“Oh, come on,” Obadiah told him. “Your father would want you to.”

“Why would I care about what he wanted? He never gave a damn about what I wanted…”

Obadiah tried another approach. “That girl you’re sweet on really wants to attend, right? You can’t let her down.”

Tony quietly turned to the mirror again. “Why does she even bother with me?”

“Because she likes you too, I’m sure,” Obadiah said, finally noticing the absence of Tony’s gloves and the fact the young man was touching things without even a flinch. It was odd to see considering Tony was a germaphobe, which had explained the thick gloves for years. He reached into his pocket, taking out a figurine he kept for luck. It had worn and gotten dirty over the years. “Hey, Stark. Catch,” he said to him, tossing the figurine over, watching as Tony caught it without worry.

Tony looked it over with a confused expression. “Why…”

“So you’re a germaphobe, right?” Obadiah questioned.

Tony’s eyes went over his own hands, realizing his mistake. “Um… I-I’m getting better with it,” he quickly tried to explain, handing the figurine back to Obadiah.

“Riiight.”

Before he could be asked more about it, Tony said, “Well, I’m going to finish getting ready then.”

“You do that…” Obadiah turned and left. If the gloves weren’t meant to protect Tony from the scary germs, then that meant one other thing. He would need to get to the lab and find out what Erskine had done with Howard’s last invention against magic users.

* * *

The military was stationed at the city border. It had been a long three years since the war broke out against the magic users, and they barely made any ground. Steve wiped dirt and sweat from his forehead. It had been quiet for the last few days after the small victory of wiping out an entire group of users, and soon his men would be able to return to the city for rest, the next group ready to take their place to protect the city. Honestly, it felt like the users were taunting them, forcing them to stay so close to home, but every time the military would attempt an invasion, they would strike back.

Here was the thing though; the users never initiated the attack, only defended.

Steve had to wonder why that was. He felt their own forces were few compared to the users on the outside, that if the users really wanted to, they could attack and overpower them within hours. Why did they hold back? Why go in for an assassination, and then act like they didn’t want to fight?

A hand on his shoulder got his attention, and he looked up to see Rumlow, the last man said to have seen Bucky. “Your guys can head back,” Rumlow informed him.

“Are you going to try invading again?” Steve asked.

“Eventually. We need a way to break through their defenses. Stane and his scientists should be working on it.”

“What if they can’t do anything? What if we’re locked in war forever?”

“It won’t be forever. We’ll try another way.”

“They outnumber us.”

“Then they should just strike us down now before they’re dead,” Rumlow said. “Go, get some rest. We’ll keep the city safe.”

Steve gave him a salute, leading his team away from the border and back toward the city. One of the soldiers he had befriended, Sam, came up to him. “What’s going on?” he asked Steve.

“This is never going to end,” Steve murmured in response. “We’re never going to be free of this fucking nonsense.”

“Yeah, especially since this was never the users’ fault.”

“What do you mean?” Steve questioned.

“I mean, the users didn’t start this mess.”

Steve stopped, turning to Sam. “They caused the attack on Master Stark and his son.”

“Did you always believe that or were you just told that enough times?”

Steve looked around at the rest of their team before whispering, “You know something?”

“I know what I’m risking, Steve, but… I don’t think you’re like them,” Sam replied. “We’ll talk later?”

“Yeah.”

The name of Obadiah Stane flashed through Steve’s mind, remembering his suspicion after hearing about what happened to Howard and Anthony Stark. He recalled how angry the boy had sounded over the man being assigned Stark Industries in Howard’s will. He didn’t want to believe then that there could actually be a connection, but if there was…

* * *

She trimmed the split ends, cleaned and combed, pulling Barnes’ hair back into a ponytail. _Mine…_ She kissed the top of his head. _All mine…_ She could only hope her spell would hold stronger than the need to obey Lord Pierce.

Wanda had Barnes stand and she outfitted him in a nice suit, making sure everything was perfect. Lord Pierce wouldn’t be satisfied with anything less. “You’re ready,” she finally told him.

“Where is…” There was a pause, a flicker of a memory. “Steve…?”

Wanda stared at him. How could her influence be wearing off already? She didn’t have time for another total wipe. “No,” she said. “No Steve. You will obey Lord Pierce.” Raising her hands to his head, she gave him a shock of magic. “Do you understand, Barnes?”

She waited for the magic to take hold, and sighed in relief when he asked, “Where is Lord Pierce?”

“He will be here soon. Any thought other than obeying Lord Pierce is to be ignored. Understand?”

“Yes…”

Wanda considered asking Pierce to take her along so that she could keep an eye on Barnes, but she was also tired of taking orders from the old man. If her brother’s life wasn’t on the line, she could have retaliated ages ago. Let Barnes break free. She could just say that she wasn’t aware that her spell was wearing off. If Barnes fought back against Pierce, well… so be it.


	10. Chapter 10

They climbed the steps to the party, Lord Pierce glancing at his escort. Barnes remained silently by his side. Pierce was concerned on the ride over at first when Barnes seemed to almost refuse an order, but now he was obedient, awaiting the next command.

A man at the door announced Lord Pierce’s arrival, several people turning to see him enter. He set his arm around Barnes’ waist, leading him to a table that held small plates with a bit of food on them, glasses filled with drinks common folk could only imagine. “Do you remember the young man I described to you?” he asked Barnes in a hushed voice.

“Dark hair,” Barnes answered in a monotone, “brown eyes, chest injury.”

“Good,” Pierce stated, unaware that his tool was slowly regaining control of himself. “Remember the plan, Barnes.” Pierce then left him alone while he went to find Stane.

Barnes stayed by the table, his eyes scanning the guests. So far no one had matched the description, but he was told that the man would be here.

_Bucky_

He froze. What was that? Was it a memory? Was someone trying to break into his thoughts?

Barnes didn’t like being confused, but he couldn’t figure out what just happened.

Blond hair, blue eyes, scrawny body, big body, same face, same voice -

“Steve…”

* * *

Pepper kept her hand wrapped around Tony’s arm as they casually wandered around the room, politely saying hello to others in attendance. Well, _she_ was saying hello. Tony on the other hand was staying quiet. When he would say hello, it was forced, politeness missing in his tone. “You should at least pretend to be nicer,” Pepper told him.

“Why should I? I don’t want to be here.”

“Act like you do.”

“Act like I’m glad for the bloodlust?” he asked.

“Tony…” She understood how he felt. He finally came clean with her nearly a month after they started dating, and she felt like she owed him an explanation. She had known since the day he was brought into the clinic that he was a magic user. Master Yinsen accidentally triggered the magic while trying to save his life. When Tony asked why he wasn’t turned in, she told him that Master Yinsen was a user as well.

“They’re killing my people, Pepp…”

“I don’t know if you can really call them ‘your people’, Tony,” Pepper said as she pulled him a little closer so they wouldn’t be overheard so easily.

“I am a user though.”

“I know, but you’re born to a normal family,” she pointed out.

“I never knew my mother,” he softly admitted to her. “Who knows what she might have been.”

“Your father used a surrogate?”

“I honestly do not know…”

“You never asked him about her?”

Tony shook his head. “I never thought to. It didn’t seem important… I was just focused on getting him to put me in the will, to give the company to me. I had big plans for it, Pepper. Now it’s all falling apart… I don’t know if I even want to anymore.”

Leaning against a table they came to, Pepper asked, “Do you need the company for your ‘big plans’, Tony? Are you sure you can’t do them without it?”

“The money would definitely help,” he told her. “Without Stark Industries, I have nothing.”

“And that’s why you’re still under that man’s roof, right? You haven’t even tried to go out on your own.”

“And risk an infection?” he hissed. “I’m always near death with this thing.”

“So build better.”

Tony had no reply to that, gazing down at his chest. He had wanted to do it for years, but he was afraid, so afraid that something might get trapped, and he wouldn’t be able to do anything about it. Yinsen was doing his best with replacements, but it wasn’t enough, not if Tony wanted to really live again. “You think I can survive it…?”

Pepper made sure no one was looking before she leaned closer, placing a gentle kiss to his temple. “If anyone can, it would be you, Tony.”

“Okay. Okay.” He let out a shaky breath, the anxiety of daring to mess with his own life so much already taking its toll. “I can do this?”

“I know you can.”

He nodded to her. “Okay.”

“Good,” Pepper said before they heard someone call her name, looking up to see a friend of hers. “Oh, I’ll be back in a few minutes, okay?”

“Sure thing,” said Tony. “I won’t leave the party, I promise.”

“You better not,” she warned, leaving to go speak with Happy.

Tony watched her leave a moment before his eyes fell to the table, eyeing the alcohol in the glasses. He probably shouldn’t, but he picked one up, another beside his being taken up as well. Turning to see who happened to be by him, he found himself face to face with the handsomest man he’d ever seen. “Hello,” he breathed, needing to take a step back. He knew Pepper was going to be right back, he didn’t need to start falling for this man, didn’t need to start… fantasizing…

And then something clicked, a memory from years ago, the eyes of the soldier that saved his life were staring right back at him.

“You’re James Barnes… right…?”

Barnes merely watched him, glass in hand. This was the one that Lord Pierce had mentioned, yes? “What’s your name?”

Tony narrowed his eyes, not liking the sound of his tone. Something wasn’t right. “Anthony Stark,” he answered truthfully. “Yours?”

“Barnes.”

“So it _is_ you. Where have you been? Do you have any idea how worried people have been? Your old pal Steve has been going crazy.”

Silence as Barnes tried to process everything Anthony Stark had said to him. “You know Steve?” The flickers of memories began to play for him. A sickly child, a caring mother, and the light taking away the shadows.

The magic that was cast from his own fingertips to save the life of the boy in the bed.

Across the room, Pierce glared, finally seeing that Wanda’s influencing was weakening.

“And what were you planning with him?” Stane casually asked. “Thinking to work against me now? That’s not a very good plan for you.”

“Why say I would be against you? So a man controlled by a user would have killed a few here…”

“You were after Stark,” Stane stated. “You hate that he survived.” When Pierce remained silent, he continued, “I learned something interesting. He’s not really a germaphobe, at least not to the degree that he and his father had implied.” Pierce looked up at him. “The gloves aren’t for avoiding germs. They’re for something else.”

“You think he’s a user?” Pierce questioned.

“I think Howard hid it well. I know what Howard’s last creation was meant to be. He stopped working on it when his son became a teen, but his partner Erskine might have the prototype lying around somewhere.”

“What was it?”

“A magic blocker.”


	11. Chapter 11

“Barnes, come.”

He blinked, recognizing the voice, the need to comply forcing Barnes to turn to Lord Pierce. Tony narrowed his eyes at the old man, surprised by the revelation. “ _You_ had him?”

“I would be careful if I were you, young user,” Lord Pierce replied.

Tony remained quiet. How did he find out? Tony had been trying so hard to keep his magic a secret! Where did he go wrong?

Lord Pierce ordered Barnes to come to him again and the man did, obediently following behind as Lord Pierce stopped by Stane to shake his hand. That’s when Tony realized; Obadiah Stane did have him figured out after all.

A few minutes passed while Tony stood by the table alone. He needed to make a decision, one that could very possibly mean his life.

Pepper finally returned, smiling as she brought her friend with her. “So this is Tony,” she told him before actually looking at her date. “Tony, what’s wrong?”

“Yeah,” said her friend, Happy. “You look like you saw a ghost or something.”

Tony’s eyes focused on them as he broke out of his thoughts. “Pepp, you wouldn’t happen to have a spare room, would you?”

“Excuse me?” she asked. “Tony, I know we’re dating, but… but we never…”

“Nothing’s happening,” he quickly said. He needed to find a new place to live. He just couldn’t stay under Stane’s guardianship anymore, even if that meant losing Stark Industries altogether. “Listen, I need to go, I’m sorry. Hey, keep her company, alright?” he said to Happy.

The man didn’t have a chance to respond before Tony was rushing out. Happy gave Pepper a concerned look. “I know you said he can be kind of paranoid, but something is seriously wrong there.”

“I know,” she sighed, looking around the room. “Why would he suddenly want a room with me? Just earlier tonight, he was explaining why he hasn’t left Stane…”

“Something must have happened with him.”

“And we can’t figure out what. I don’t think Tony would ever tell me what’s going on.” Pepper looked around one last time. “When I see Rhodey again, I’ll ask him to see what he can find out. He’s still military. If anyone can figure it out, it would be him.”

* * *

“I don’t know who they’re using, but it’s someone pretty powerful, and they wouldn’t just do this because they want to.”

Steve quietly listened, his gaze low as he thought about what Sam was telling him.

“Maybe it’s a hostage situation… Family is pretty big for us.”

“For anyone,” Steve softly added. “Take a child away from a parent, maybe, and they’ll do _anything_ to get them back safely…”

“Exactly.” Sam turned to him. “Magic users don’t want to fight you guys. Honestly, we’re all confused by your city.”

“You’re confused?” Steve asked, looking at him. “Why? You’re different, you can destroy us easily.”

“No, _your_ people are different,” Sam told him. “Outside of this city? Everyone has magic. It’s like you’re all in this weird bubble that… _blocks_ it.”

Steve stared at him. That couldn’t be right. Magic was the anomaly, not… being _normal_.

“I’m telling you. This is the only city that blocks magic. Something’s going on here, and we want to help you all, but your leaders freaked out and had everyone get crazy with bloodlust.”

“So… you’re really saying that having magic is normal, and…”

“That not having any magic at all is really fucking weird.”

“That doesn’t make sense…”

“Maybe not to you, you were raised in this mess,” said Sam. “But like everyone has seen, whatever is trying to block it isn’t strong enough to stop those that are more powerful. That’s why you have those few that find out they have magic. Just imagine what they’d be like outside this city.”

Steve remembered some of the stories, of people discovering they had the curse of magic. Some instances ended in death for innocents, and since the risk was there, imprisonment of all users seemed to be logical. That is, of course, until Steve really began to question their involvement in this bloody war. “Anyone in the city that can perform magic…”

“Is a whole lot stronger than you realize,” Sam finished for him.

With a sigh, Steve ran his fingers through his hair. _What the hell…_ “You know, I could use this information against you and have you locked up…”

“I know…”

“But you told me anyway…”

“I trust you,” Sam informed him. “You’re not like the rest of them, Steve.”

“I don’t know…”

They were quiet for a minute before they both heard frantic pounding on Steve’s door. Both men stared at each other before looking at the door, wondering who it could be. It was too late for a normal visitor.

Steve moved to the door, pulling it open, his eyes widening when he recognized the hair, the face, the eyes. “Stark?”

“What?” Sam questioned. “Young Stark’s here??”

Tony tried to catch his breath as he looked up at Steve. “I know it’s weird for me to be here, but home’s not safe, please let me stay,” he got out in a rush between breaths.

The old suspicions felt the strongest then than they ever had, and Steve needed to ask him, “Is it Stane?”

“H-how did you know?”

Steve pulled the young man inside, shutting the door. Sam looked Tony over, his eyes falling on the black gloves. There were stories about the germaphobic Stark boy, but he was showing no signs of such a phobia while being touched by Steve. If anything, Tony looked like a user trying to hide his power, which meant…

“Oh, this can’t be good…” he murmured. “Did Stane find out?”

Steve said nothing, offering a seat for Tony so he could rest.

Tony gladly accepted, a hand going to his chest. So much physical exertion made it _hurt_ , why did it _hurt_ so much… “I think I know what you’re asking about…” he said, still a little breathless. “He did… so I can’t stay there anymore… Steve, please…”

“You can stay,” Steve assured him. “I won’t let anyone know you’re here.”

“Lord Pierce…”

“He won’t know either.”

Tony shook his head. “L-Lord Pierce… he has your friend… that… James Barnes…”

* * *

Master Yinsen was working on the next pump in the clinic. Tony was going to need a replacement in the near future. He wished he could build better for the young man, but without better funding, the boy was lucky to get this much. Obadiah Stane was quite stingy with the payment just for Tony’s pump.

He heard the door to the building open, going out to see who needed him, but what he found was not a patient.

“You need to prove your loyalty before I kill you myself,” said the cold voice. “Do it.”


	12. Chapter 12

Tony’s words sounded so foreign. It was something Steve thought he would never hear. “Bucky’s alive…?” he whispered.

Tony nodded, hand still over the pump under his shirt. “I saw him… He was with Lord Pierce, like… like a servant. I don’t know why…”

“Sounds like the person that messed with the army before might be controlling him then,” said Sam.

Steve began to pace. Bucky was alive all along. So many years, so many years and Steve could have done something, he could have searched harder, could have not listened to those above him when they ordered that he stop. He could have found Bucky, but instead he obeyed, like a good soldier.

A good soldier that left his best friend to be mind controlled by a magic user.

No… Sam had been trying to explain that they were just people, that it was the city that was wrong, was weird, unusual.

Lord Pierce must be using Bucky as a tool for something, Tony’s description said as much. But what was Lord Pierce planning?

Bucky was the one that saved Tony’s life. Was Lord Pierce looking to have him be the one to end it now? But then why did he do nothing to him tonight? What was the goal?

Knowing Steve needed some time to himself, Sam looked over at Tony, watching as the younger man stared at his gloves. “You alright over there?”

“Is it... really so obvious... that I'm…”

“To be fair, I'm a user too,” Sam tried to assure him. “I might be able to see through your ‘disguise’ a little bit easier. Plus, you weren't really acting the part of germaphobe all that well.”

“Damn it…” Tony whispered, holding his head in his hands. It was the same thing that gave him away to Stane, and Steve years before that. With how often he was failing a seemingly simple task, he was surprised it took this long for him to need to remove himself from his own home to assure his safety.

Well, it was something that Pepper had been insisting he do for years, and now that he did it, he could… he _should_ …

Fuck, he still felt so scared of the very idea of trying to build his own design for something better, something smaller, better mobility, but if anything, _anything_ , went wrong, it would mean his death, and Tony was not ready for that.

“Stane’s not gonna get you out here,” Sam said, bringing Tony's mind back to the present. “You made the right choice to come to Steve. I have no idea how you two even know each other, but yeah.”

“We met when he was tiny,” Tony answered. “He was the labrat my father and his partner wanted.”

“Right, that whole serum thing, huh?”

“Magic potion made with the blood of our people, more like…”

“Can't imagine what it's like when your own father is behind something like that.”

“He knew I was a magic user since I was eight,” Tony explained. “Then he goes and does that shit; how do you think I'm gonna feel? And then knowing that he was never going to give me the company because of this damn curse…”

“Why did you stay then?” Sam asked as Steve looked over, finally breaking out of his own thoughts.

“Because…” Tony began, turning his gaze back to the gloves that hid his hands, and his powers, from the world. It was hard to say out loud to these men, to admit he was scared, especially when they knew the kind of man his father was. Tony was supposed to be tough…

Apparently he failed there too.

“It was safe,” Sam offered, seeing his discomfort, “right? At least until he found out.”

“Uh… yeah.”

“How did he catch you?”

“He threw something at me and I caught it. I was distracted, didn't realize my gloves weren't on...”

“How closely does Stane work with Lord Pierce?” Steve interrupted them.

“I don’t know,” Tony truthfully answered. “I know they’re at least acquaintances, but I don’t know how deep the relationship goes.” He sighed before looking up at them. “Lord Pierce knew I was a user. That’s how I learned Stane figured it out. He told him, I know it.”

“He’s gonna have people looking everywhere for you,” Sam said as he folded his arms. “If you go out in town, you’re gonna get caught.”

“I know…” With hopeful eyes, he gazed at Steve. “Please let me stay…”

Steve merely stared at back, not sure how he should answer.

“Please, I’ll be kinder than the first time we met, I’ll cook, I’ll clean, I’ll do whatever…”

“Okay, okay, you don’t need to go that far,” Steve told him. “I’ll let you stay, but you have to make sure no one sees you.”

Tony gave him a sad smile. “No problem…”

“And what about your…” Steve tried to say, gesturing to his chest.

“I need to talk to Yinsen about that soon. This one’s getting old.” Tony gave a small tap against the contraption through the fabric of his shirt.

“We’ll need to take him here, but…” Sam started with a sigh.

“It’ll look unusual for him to just show up at my home,” Steve finished, “especially with what Tony needs to survive.”

“This is going to be tricky. Maybe we can make a disguise for Tony.”

“Disguise?” Tony questioned. “As what?”

“We’ll think of something,” Steve assured him. “You’ll get there, we’ll make sure of it.”

* * *

The next morning, Pepper tiredly opened the door to the clinic, stopping in her tracks when her shoe began to soak up liquid at the first step. She stared at the horrific scene before her, a scream stuck in her throat as she took in the disturbing sight of blood, so much blood, and what was left of Yinsen’s body.

She couldn’t move, falling back against the door. Who could have done this? Yinsen was a good man, a miraculous healer. He ran his clinic with very little in terms of funding, always helping people, even those who could not afford to pay for his services.

Finally she found the will to move, her hand shaking as she reached for the door handle, opening it so she could fall out of the clinic, quickly kicking off her shoes that had become stained with red. Her eyes stung with unshed tears, blurring her vision.

And then… she could scream, loud with audible sobs, getting the attention of others, so that more would know what had happened here.

Master Yinsen was dead.


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please follow me on [tumblr](http://crystallized-iron.tumblr.com/) to know when I post about delayed updates!
> 
> The beginning has choking, it does not last long.

“You knew your influence was weakening again,” Lord Pierce calmly stated as he paced around Wanda. “You’re lucky I need you, or you would be joining your brother.”

“I want to see him,” she said, her head down.

He stopped in front of her, lifting her head with his fingers so he could see her eyes. “After last night’s stunt, you think I would let you see him? I almost lost Barnes on his first outing.”

“Let me see Pietro and -”

His fingers swiftly moved to her throat and tightened. “You are not the only user I can find, Maximoff. I am sure there are others more powerful than you that could do my bidding.” He let go and shoved her toward the door behind her. “Do not think you have any advantage here. Screw up again and you’ll be lucky if you get a cell near your brother.”

Wanda backed away as she caught her breath. That was the most violent he had ever been toward her. She always thought that her gift would keep her valuable, but hearing that he could find another…

“Go. Do what you can for a more permanent control.”

She thought back to Barnes’ near death state when she had gone too strong against him, not wanting to cause such a reaction ever again. What Lord Pierce was asking for was impossible without killing him.

“Why are you still here, Maximoff?” Lord Pierce demanded. “Go.”

“Yes, sir…”

She left the room, afraid for her safety in this place. If she stayed, he could very well kill her, but she couldn’t leave him completely without Pietro, and yet she also knew that Barnes would break free again. It was always a matter of time.

He had to have some kind of magic of his own protecting him. How else was he freeing himself so quickly?

After making her way down to the small dark rooms that might as well be prison cells themselves, she found Barnes’, finding a guard just outside. “Lord Pierce wants me to try again,” she informed him, and watched as he unlocked the door, allowing her inside.

She found Barnes awake and sitting on the bed, glumly looking up at her as she entered. _He’s in control._

“You’re the one,” he murmured.

Wanda was unsure if she should be concerned. “I am.”

“It’s gonna happen again…” It wasn’t a question.

“It is.” What good would lying do?

Barnes sighed, lying on the bed. “Do it then… I don’t care.”

“Why don’t you care?” she wondered, stepping closer.

“He had me kill someone,” Barnes answered. “Didn’t want to… couldn’t stop myself.”

Did some part of her magic remain embedded somewhere inside him?

“If I do it again, I don’t want to be aware of it…”

Wanda put her hand on his shoulder. What was she doing to this gentle soul? “You will not be aware,” she assured him. “I promise you that. But he wants the influence on you to be stronger… I fear it may have fatal consequences.”

“Fatal…” Barnes actually had a smile, letting out a small chuckle. “Just my luck after this… Guess it must be karma for the Starks…”

“No… Anthony Stark broke your control at the party,” she told him.

Barnes gave her a surprised glance.

“You do not remember?”

He tried remembering the night’s events. “I remember Steve… but he wasn’t there, was he?”

“The man they changed with magic?”

“Yeah… He was small, then he was big…”

Wanda shrugged. “As far as I know, he was not there, but I cannot be certain.”

“I don’t think he was…”

Moving her fingers through his hair, she said, “I hope he can save you from this existence. But now, I have to do my job.”

“Thank you for at least talking to me first…”

She said nothing else as she pulled her hand away. There was no telling when Lord Pierce might come down to check on her progress, and they had already spent enough time speaking. Calling on her magic, she entered his mind again, going deeper and deeper.

There had to be some kind of permanent consequences to what she was doing to him. Wanda didn’t want to think about them, but she knew there had to be. Creating illusions was one thing, but to interfere with someone’s brain, over and over, for years, it had to have lasting effects. She had to hope that if he was ever free of this terror, that he would find a way to live a normal life.

* * *

Tony was still staring at the ceiling in Steve’s living room, but now he was able to watch the shadows slowly move as the sun rose higher and higher. He heard movement in the bedroom; Steve must be awake. At least he had been able to sleep. Tony was lucky if he got even a half hour. The old chair was not the most comfortable thing in the world, even with a slightly heavy blanket covering it.

Not like he would have been able to sleep if he was in a bed anyway.

His thoughts went back to Obadiah tossing him the figurine. Tony had been so stupid! Why did he ever take his gloves off? He caught it like it was nothing, still not acknowledging his mistake until he heard the older man’s words. It was so easy! How did he slip up after so long?

He sighed, thinking he should feel lucky he had lasted that long.

“Mornin’,” he heard, and he turned his head to find Steve in his bedroom doorway without a shirt on. Tony tried not to stare too much. “How’d you sleep?”

“Not… at all,” Tony honestly answered, forcing his eyes to stay on Steve’s face.

“Sorry,” Steve said. “It’s the only place I have. No guest room, so…”

“It’s fine, really. Thanks for letting me stay at all.”

“Well, I wasn’t going to make you stay outside.” Steve walked past him to the tiny kitchen, the action allowing Tony to see his back. “You hungry?”

“Uh huh… I-I mean, yes.” _Fuck, stop staring, this is serious._

Steve gave him a look but went about looking for what they could have for breakfast instead of asking him about his strange behavior. “How long until you need another… for your chest…”

“I don’t know an exact date,” Tony replied, staring at the ceiling again. “I think Master Yinsen was going to start building the new one soon though. So whenever it’s finished, I guess.”

“Well, after breakfast, I can pay him a visit and see how long it’ll be. Then we can decide on a disguise for you.” He looked over at Tony. “The gloves might give you away though…”

“I don’t really need them,” Tony told him. “They just help in case of… accidents.”

“Accidents?”

“I don’t know… Maybe more when I was a child still. I hope I have more control now.”

“Have you practiced control with whatever it is?”

“How can I practice it? I’m not supposed to have it, not allowed to show anyone…”

“Well…” Steve came back to him. “You can show me.”

Tony eyed him curiously. “You want me to?”

“We need to make sure you have control over it, right?” he asked. “We can’t have you wearing the gloves out in public.”

Tony stared at his gloves. Could he really do this? His hands began to shake with nerves as he slowly pulled the gloves off, setting them on the arm of the chair. He tried to breathe. He could try something simple? Maybe the light that scared his father so much that first day?

He tried concentrating, and at first nothing happened. He hadn’t tried magic since his father’s death. Did it go away? Was that possible? Tony remembered it being so easy when he was young, using it in secret to see what else he could do, and then the day that Steve changed, when Tony had to step in and save his life.

Tony took a deep breath, trying to relax, before trying once more.

There was a spark, a small burst of energy, and then a tiny flash of light.

Beside him, Steve said, “Looks like you need a lot of practice.”

“Yeah…” But it was so freeing to just _use_ it again.


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please follow me on [tumblr](http://crystallized-iron.tumblr.com/) to know when I post about delayed updates!

Steve kept to himself as he walked through the city, making his way to the clinic where Master Yinsen worked. He hoped they would be able to come up with an easy enough plan to get Tony what he needed.

But then he approached the clinic and saw the crowd around it.

Coming up to a civilian, he casually asked them, “What’s going on?”

“Master Yinsen is dead,” came the quiet answer. “His assistant can barely speak to the authorities, she is so upset.”

Steve said nothing more, wondering if this was Stane’s doing, or if it was Lord Pierce, now that he knew the man had Bucky under his control. It could be either; it could be both.

He walked closer, watching for any wandering eyes as he snuck around the back. There had to be another way in besides the door in the front, and he was right, finding an open window. Climbing up, he went inside, finding himself in a room for patients as he heard voices at the entrance to the clinic discussing the gruesome murder.

Tony had said that Master Yinsen would have started building a new pump for him by now, that the man did all of his work in the clinic rather than at home. Normally, this was a safe enough practice for Yinsen, but not this time.

Slipping into the hall, Steve tried to quickly and quietly find the room Yinsen would have used for building his equipment, looking around before slowly pulling a door open, finding a closet at first, but the next door he tried was certainly the one he wanted. On the table was indeed a new pump for Tony, but it was unfinished. Steve went in, pulling the door closed after him.

He looked the thing over. This had to be the reason for Yinsen’s death. What else could it possibly be? They wanted Tony dead without going straight to him.

How would Steve get this out of the clinic without drawing unwanted attention?

He had to think quickly. It was only a matter of time before they moved from the entrance to the rest of the clinic.

There were folded sheets on a stretcher by the wall, unused leather straps hanging from the sides. Steve didn’t know much about fashion, would probably make a fool of himself if he really tried this, but he was running out of time.

“You owe me for this, Tony…”

* * *

Brock was quickly tiring of the constant chatter his men were doing. “For the last time, there isn’t anything here other than a quick murder. Old man was probably being robbed.”

“But nothing was stolen,” argued one of the new guys. “It couldn’t be a robbery.”

“Want me to check for you, Pete?” Brock questioned. “Bet if I look, I could find some things missing.” There was little response to his question, so Brock headed for the door to the rest of the clinic. “Alright, let me go look and prove to you, this is not some kind of conspiracy.” As he opened the door, he had step out of the way of the tall woman that had been inside. But… didn’t they already search and find no one else? Brock watched the strange, apparently pregnant woman silently walk past everyone, silence following behind her. “Uh…”

Steve rolled his eyes once he was outside. _I can’t believe that actually worked._ He couldn’t stop yet, so he just kept moving, others only watching him for a few moments before they turned their full attention back to the chaos at the clinic. He walked until he was a few blocks away, turning into an alley where he loosened the leather straps, allowing the sheets to drop to the ground. He carefully set the pump down on one of the sheets. “Okay…” After a good stretch, he wrapped it with the sheet to keep it safe, then took it into his arms, carrying it all the way home.

Tony was smart. He could figure out what to do, how to finish it, _something_. Steve was sure of it. This wasn’t going to be a problem. It wasn’t.

He walked up to the small house, looking around as he stepped up to the door before he unlocked it, going inside. He set the pump on his kitchen table, then went back and locked the door again. With a deep sigh, Steve went searching for Tony, finding him sleeping on his bed. Steve didn’t even think that Tony wouldn’t have gotten any rest on the chair the night before, but it did make sense.

Should he wake him? Should he let him sleep? He wasn’t sure what sort of mental state Tony might be in if he tried to shake him awake right now.

Deciding to wait, Steve sat at the table, unwrapping the sheet so he could look at what he had just snuck home, wondering how the hell his life became this mess. It all started before he became how he was now, before Bucky joined the military. They were just pieces in someone else’s fucked up game.

But Bucky was alive. Steve was glad to know that much. If his friend was alive, that meant he could be saved, and Steve was going to make damn sure he saved him. He wasn’t going to fail Bucky again, even if deep down he knew it wasn’t his fault, but not being there for Bucky before was killing him inside. He couldn’t shake the guilt of it. _It’s not your fault, Stevie_ , he would say.

 _I know_ , Steve would reply, _but I can’t help it._

_Like how I was guilty over your ma dyin’...?_

Steve sighed, resting his head on his arms as he set them on the table. Imagining conversations never really went all that well, did it? Bucky had seemed like he killed her, like it was all his fault that she had left them for the afterlife. Steve had tried to comfort his best friend while ignoring his own grief.

_‘I’m so sorry…’_

It was a whisper he remembered Bucky saying to Sarah at the funeral.

He remembered telling Bucky it wasn’t his fault, that even medics couldn’t save her.

_‘I could have if I was stronger.’_

“Steve…?”

He lifted his head and looked at Tony.

Walking more into the room, Tony stared at the pump. “Why is this here…? And incomplete…?”

Steve’s eyes settled onto the pump as well. “I got it out.”

“But why…”

“You need to finish it.”

“Why me…”

“Because Yinsen is dead,” he answered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Help me out!**
> 
> I have made a [tumblr post](http://crystallized-iron.tumblr.com/post/175829246717/a-lie-to-live-readers) regarding A Lie to Live's future chapters. It would mean a lot if you guys could help me out.


	15. Chapter 15

The world seemed to stop as Tony processed what Steve had just told him. “Yinsen… is dead…?” It didn't seem possible. Master Yinsen had been a wonderful, popular medic for his skills.

Even without Steve specifying, Tony knew it had to be murder, and the whole town knew what the kind man did for him. How funny that it happened right after he learned the truth about Barnes.

Tony wouldn't survive the year without a new pump, and they missed their chance to finish him years ago. This way, it wouldn't be seen as murder against him once his time ran out, just an unfortunate circumstance after going through so much already.

“Tony…” Steve sighed as he turned to him, making Tony look into his eyes. “Listen… I know you can do this.”

“No you don't know,” Tony argued as he took a step back. “This isn't something you can just fail and try again at, I will literally _die_ if I don't succeed the first time!”

“Maybe, but you're not an idiot. You can figure this out.”

“And then who will help me if I even do manage to build something?” Tony questioned him. “I can't install it myself.”

Steve scratched the back of his head while he thought, offering, “I can help you if you tell me what to do.”

“How steady are your hands then? You need steady hands, need to be completely calm under pressure… Things that Master Yinsen was a master at.”

“You think I can't be calm under pressure?”

“I _don't know_ , Steve.”

“Well, I say I can. You kind of need to be when you're a soldier.”

“Soldiers,” Tony groaned, rolling his eyes. “Spilling innocent blood wherever they go.”

“We don't know if they're innocent,” Steve stated, “but I know now, users did not start the war.”

Tony said nothing else, looking the pump over, trying to see just how close Yinsen was to finishing.

Steve watched him, wanting to explain his side, but saying that he was just following orders sounded anything but comforting. The orders came from a corrupt place, using magic users for personal gain, not caring in the least when the death toll climbed higher and higher. Steve hated that he was a part of that injustice.

“Fuck, what am I going to do with this…” he heard Tony mumble as he tipped the contraption on its side. “Yinsen could do so much with so little and now I have to do more with less…”

“Just finishing this one will be enough though, right?” Steve asked him. “Why do you need to do more than that?”

“So I can live longer than just a few months before I have to start again,” Tony answered. “You don't really have any materials I'd need, do you?”

“I might be able to get you some.”

“And how are you going to do that?” Toby questioned with a look.

“Just give me a list and I'll see what I can get,” Steve told him.

“I can't just list it out.”

Steve raised a brow at him. “You mean you don't know what you want, right?”

Tony rolled his eyes and turned away from him, heading to the kitchen. “Ask me again in a few hours.”

“I will,” Steve promised him, leaning back in the chair so he could better watch Tony. He hoped Tony would be able to save himself and show everyone that it would take more than this to kill him.

* * *

Lord Pierce kept a cautious eye on Barnes as they waited for his guest to arrive. He couldn’t be sure if Barnes was under his control or if Wanda’s magic was slipping again, or worse…

The door opened and a guard looked to Lord Pierce. “Obadiah Stane has arrived, sir.”

“Good,” Pierce answered. “Send him in.”

The guard gave a nod and left, allowing Stane to enter the office. The man stared at Barnes before approaching Pierce’s desk. “Why is he here?”

“Protection, obviously,” Pierce explained to him.

“Protection from what?”

“Whatever you could have brought with you to try and kill me with, of course.”

Stane shook his head. “It’s not a good thing if we cannot trust each other, old friend. I told you what I would be coming here about today.”

“So you’ve been to Erskine already?”

“He’s not taking visitors. A good friend of his just died.”

Pierce relaxed more in his chair. “I see. That’s unfortunate.”

“Very unfortunate,” Stane agreed, taking a seat at the desk. “Murdered in his own workplace. It’s a very troubling scene. Some wonder if it’s a hit against the Stark boy, but he never came home, so I wonder if it was to cover someone’s tracks and Tony’s body is held somewhere else. Maybe even… somewhere around here?”

Narrowing his eyes, Pierce leaned forward. “You think I had anything to do with your little charge disappearing on you?”

“You want him gone, Pierce, is it really so surprising I would suspect you?”

“I have not seen him since the party,” Pierce stated, “and that is the truth on that matter.”

“I don’t know about that…”

Brock suddenly slammed the door open, sending one quick glance to Pierce’s visitor, but then informing Pierce himself, “The heart pump disappeared.”

“What…” both men said.

 _So he’s alive after all_ , Stane thought, but this also confirmed something else.

“How can it not be there?” Pierce questioned. “He was working on it when -”

“When what, exactly?” Stane interrupted.

Returning his attention to Stane, Pierce answered, “You asked about the boy. You asked me nothing about the damn medic.”

“True… but you really haven’t seen him at all?”

“You have my word on that, Stane.” Turning to Brock, Pierce said, “Look again, make sure no one leaves that place without being searched from head to toe.”

“About that…” Brock began, eyes low. He sighed as Pierce waited for him to continue. “We did let someone out. It was this… tall, pregnant woman. Didn’t think anything of it at the time… but… now that I think about it, she was strangely calm…”

“You fucking idiot,” Pierce hissed. “She probably snuck it out while you were busy ogling!”

“I wasn’t, she’s not even my type.”

“Rumlow!” With a growl, Pierce went to the door, yanking it open to yell to the guard, “Get the girl! We need her assistance.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Help me out please!](http://crystallized-iron.tumblr.com/post/176007666212/a-lie-to-live-readers)


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Late by over 24 hours.
> 
> [Please follow me to know when there will be delays!](http://crystallized-iron.tumblr.com/) Thank you!

Wanda marched through the halls on her way to Lord Pierce's office. Nothing had been said to her about Barnes slipping again, so she could only wonder what he would want from her now.

The guard escorting her opened the door, allowing her inside.

Pierce looked up at her as she entered. “‘Bout time you showed up,” he said, impatience thick in his voice. “I need you to go into Rumlow’s head -”

“Wait, what?” Brock questioned.

“- and find the mystery woman in his memories that may have stolen the heart pump needed for Stark's survival,” Pierce finished.

Wanda stared at them. “That is not something I practice often. I could fail.”

“I know you are lying,” Pierce warned. “Do it.”

Stane curiously watched as Wanda turned to Brock. He saw the red, smoky lines as they danced their way around the man's head, and the eyes of both began to glow the same.

_I wonder what Tony's power must be like._

Whatever it was, he knew it greatly involved Tony's hands.

It took only a few moments before Wanda let Brock go. He backed away, not wanting her to try it again, the first time being unnerving enough.

Turning to Pierce once more, Wanda told him, “I found her, but it was no woman. A man dressed in a sheet. He did not see the face because of the hood made from it.”

“Rumlow,” Pierce simply said after a very brief pause.

“Sir, I had no idea.”

“I know you didn't,” Pierce snapped back at him. “That is the problem! You never found it strange?”

“Well I did, but -”

“So you just chose not to investigate him?”

Rumlow said nothing, certain it wouldn't make a difference if he did.

“Out of my office, all of you.”

“I suppose that is including me,” Stane commented, rising to his feet.

“Yes,” Pierce agreed, “but return tomorrow, and bring me that magic blocker you promised.”

“I'll see what I can do,” Stane assured him, leaving the office with the rest. _But if Erskine winds up dead too, we're going to be in trouble._

* * *

Tony crumpled up his latest attempt at a list for materials, tossing it blindly over his shoulder. He kept trying to work everything out in his head, but he would trip himself up every time.

“This isn't working,” he announced when he heard Steve come back in.

“Why isn't it?” Steve asked, kicking off his boots before going to sit at the kitchen table and just watching his new roommate.

“I start listing things off, then find something else I hadn't considered in my planning, and I need to start over with a different amount, and even the amount needed is a wonderful guessing game.”

“Is there another way to do this?” Steve wondered, smiling at the look of frustrated concentration on Tony's face. “Maybe draw up a blueprint first and then decide.”

It was such an easy solution that Tony hadn't even thought about it.

“Okay, you're right, absolutely right.”

Tony got himself a blank sheet ready, beginning to sketch up something that could maybe, hopefully work. Steve silently watched him work, focusing on Tony’s face. Howard had been a genius inventor, but dabbling where he shouldn’t have, especially with his own son being the very kind of being that they were stealing from, had cost him greatly. Steve was still benefiting from a cruel and morally forbidden act, but there was nothing he could do about it now.

At the time, he hadn’t even thought about what might have been in those vials, how they could have gotten their hands on something so powerful, so life-altering. He was too desperate to even wonder. Tony, even then, had tried to talk sense into him in his own way, but Steve didn’t want to listen.

How could he ever make up for it?

Hours passed as Tony kept working, staring at his blueprint for several minutes at a time as he tried to figure out the best way to do this. He would scribble out equations Steve couldn’t understand, quickly solving them once he had a visual. He listed out amounts of material, determined weights, mechanics. Occasionally he would tap or spin the unfinished pump, seeing what made it work the way it did. There still was no obvious power source, so he would need to get creative. After all, maybe it was Yinsen’s own magical abilities that gave it power all along, and now with him gone…

Tony would need to power it with his own.

He stared at the pump as the thought sunk in. He would need to power it… _with his own magic._

He held up a hand, his eyes darting between it and the pump, and then down at himself. He wouldn’t be able to do much if he needed to constantly be putting energy out through his hands. There needed to be another way.

“Tony?” Steve softly spoke, watching the man’s expressions. “What’s wrong?”

“Power source,” is all Tony replied with, thinking back to the first days when he went through his father’s testing.

_‘Try again, Tony. See if you can do it from somewhere other than your hands.’_

_And he tried, but nothing would happen._

_But he was holding back. He knew he was. He was scared, scared of it being such a bad thing._

_‘Is that really the only place, son?’_

_‘Yes, father.’_

“Power source?” Steve asked. “Can you not find it?”

“It doesn’t have one,” Tony told him. “It was all Yinsen. He was a user.”

“How did he power it then? You were able to live outside of the clinic.”

“Right… I don’t know. But I’ll need to power it with my own magic now.”

“How?”

Sighing, Tony answered, “I don’t know. I really don’t know.”

Glancing at Tony’s hands, Steve said, “You really need to get to practicing your magic then, huh?”

“But how? I don’t exactly want to damage your home.”

“Tony, things can be replaced… You, though, you’re a one-of-a-kind man. I wouldn’t want to see you lose your life because you couldn’t figure out your own gift.”

Tony nodded, flexing his fingers. “Okay.”


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Early post!
> 
> Due to early posting, there may not be a new chapter on Saturday, thank you!

Stane wanted to wait longer than only a day, but knowing that Pierce was ready to put a hit on anyone that displeased him, he found himself standing outside Erskine’s door early in the morning, along with a special guest that began leaning on the wall by the door. It wasn’t enough of a mourning period, but he raised his hand, knocking on the scientist’s door. Minutes later, he was face to face with the aging man, grinning at the scientist. “Hello, Abraham. Long time no see, eh?”

“Obadiah Stane,” Erskine greeted, but did not allow entry. “I am not taking visitors.”

“Yes, I know that, but I have a business emergency.”

“I have had no business with Stark Industries since Howard’s death,” Erskine argued.

“Not the company, no, but Howard’s inventions are still necessary,” Stane tried to tell him. “You see, I have someone interested in one of his old creations. Since you were his partner in it, you were given the paperwork, blueprints, all of that stuff, right?”

“Which one are you referring to?” Erskine hesitantly questioned him.

“The magic blocker,” Stane answered. “The collar. Not the gloves.”

Erskine narrowed his eyes against the thick lenses of his glasses. “Gloves?”

“You had to have known about Howard’s son,” Stane explained, but he received a shocked response. “Oh, you didn’t know? His son is a magic user, not a germaphobe, and he’s on the run.”

“That collar will not catch him for you,” Erskine stated. “It needs to be properly, willingly, put on. You will not get that with someone escaping you.”

“You never know. Tony just might stay put long enough.” He saw the hesitance in Erskine’s stance. “It’s for his own safety,” Stane tried. “With it on, it’ll look like an odd fashion statement, but he’ll be able to use his hands, and no magical accidents.”

Erskine still wasn’t sure he should do this, but he stepped back inside, leaving the door open for Stane as he went to retrieve the collar. Stane took a single step in, looking around the room. Erskine lived simply for such a brilliant mind. Within a few minutes, he was coming back to him, offering the leather collar and accompanying paperwork. “I want nothing more to do with it,” Erskine told him.

Taking everything, Stane stepped aside, Barnes standing at the door. “Don’t worry,” Stane assured, “you won’t have any more to do with anything.”

* * *

Steve winced as he got to his feet in the morning. He and Tony had fallen asleep at the table the night before, writing utensil still grasped in Tony’s hand. He now had a written list of what he would need to build a new pump for himself, and Steve found it very impressive that Tony was able to accomplish so much in so little time under all the stress.

He carefully lifted Tony’s arm off of the document, slipping it away from him so he could look it over. “Alright. Let’s see if I can get this stuff.”

There was a woman he had befriended years earlier that collected bits of scrap metal here and there and would sell it back to citizens at higher prices, but since she seemed to like him enough, Steve hoped that she might allow for a discount, especially with it being a life or death situation.

He wrote a note for Tony to see when he woke and then left home, heading to her little scrapyard. It was near the edge of the city, but she never had to worry about users coming at her. She may have frightened a few of them anyway.

 _They are not the enemy_ , Steve reminded himself.

Coming to her yard, he stopped, glancing around. “Val?” he called out, hearing nothing. He crept closer, beginning to feel dread, finding himself praying that she hadn’t been attacked. He moved around to the back, looking down to see her laying on the ground, a large bottle of booze beside her. “Val!” He hurried over, touching her, about to check for vitals when she swung and her fist made contact with his chin. “Ouch! Val, what the hell…”

She opened her eyes and gazed up at him. “Oh.” She looked around before sitting up. “Oh hell, what… I fell asleep outside again, did I?”

“Apparently so…” Steve answered, kneeling beside her. “How long have you been drinking like this? I thought you were dead.”

“Stop,” she said. “Don’t start talkin’ to me about my life, soldier. Now what do you want?”

“I want what’s on this list,” Steve told her, handing it over.

She looked the list over, squinting at it a little. “Lovely handwriting, but this isn’t going to be cheap.”

“I hoped for a discount,” he admitted.

Val gave him a look. “I can’t do that for you. Everyone’s my friend these days. But if you don’t want to use cash -”

“Someone I care about could die without these,” he stopped her.

She straightened up and looked at it again. “Well… maybe I have a surplus of one or two of these. Can’t get rid of ‘em, you know? Let me go check for you.”

“Thank you.”

* * *

Pepper walked swiftly through the barracks, ignoring the looks she was receiving from many of the soldiers, her friend Happy sending each of them a glare as he accompanied her. She needed to find James. Tony was missing, and she desperately hoped that his best friend knew where he was, or at least that he was alright. After finding Yinsen…

She had to shake that thought away. She couldn’t think about it right now. She had to do this.

They finally came to James’ post, and Pepper ran up to him, James catching her easily in his arms. “Pepper, are you alright? When I heard about Yinsen -”

“Please don’t,” she stopped him.

“Look, I wanted to go to you guys,” he told her, “but I couldn’t. They’ve been keeping us on a tight leash. One of our guys has been missing for a few days now…”

“James, do you know where Tony is?” she asked him. “Please say yes.”

He stared at her. “He’s not with you?”

Her eyes widened. “Oh gods…”

“He’s really missing?” James questioned.

Before either could say more, another soldier came up. “Sir, there’s been another murder, it was Abraham Erskine, the scientist behind -”

“The serum…” James finished, seeing that it was another connected to Tony in some way. “Damn it…”

“Do you think Rogers…” the soldier trailed off.

“He wouldn’t be the type,” said James, although this was looking suspicious considering Rogers was the soldier that had simply disappeared a few days earlier. “I’ll look into it myself.”


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Every time I tried writing, I would get interrupted. So sorry about that!
> 
> Speaking of updates, important note at the end of the chapter!

The lines were coming together, revealing a less stressed face, the hint of a smile at the lips and a mischievous gaze with the eyes. There was a slight curl to the hair, shaded dark.

And at the chest, the design that Tony had thought up for a brand new pump, alight due to the man’s magic.

Steve had tried to draw it from memory, imagining what it might look like after it was in. He hadn’t seen Tony without a shirt yet, so he could still only guess with the chest and any scarring.

“Is that who all this is for?” Valkyrie asked as she came up to him, holding a bag in her hand full of a few of the materials Steve had requested. She stepped beside him for a better look. “He’s cute.”

“He’s Tony.”

“Yeah, the Stark fellow, right? I’ve never met him, but” - she tapped a finger to the pump - “this kind of gives it away, doesn’t it?”

“I guess it does. Master Yinsen’s gone, so Tony has build himself a new one.”

“Yinsen is gone? Is that what everyone’s been going on about?”

“He was murdered,” Steve explained. “He already had the new pump started when it happened, so Tony’s been studying that to try and help him figure out how to build it.”

“That’s so sad… And why do you have it shining?” she asked, pointing out the lines Steve had made.

“Tony’s powering it with his magic,” Steve let slip, pausing right after. “Val, you can’t tell anyone…”

“Steven, I am friends with plenty users,” she assured him. “Besides, there’s two staying just outside the city during the warm months so we can hang out.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. They’re friendly lads, pretty sure one wants a little more than friendship though.” She laughed at the curious look Steve gave her. “Maybe one day I can introduce you if you promise not to arrest them.”

“I promise I will not arrest them,” said Steve. “I’ve already gotten a talk about it. The city is a giant magic blocker.”

“Yup,” Val agreed. “So… you really like this Tony fellow, don’t you?”

“He’s my friend,” Steve told her. “Of course I’m going to help him.”

“Maybe he’s a friend right now, but look at the way you drew him,” she said. “And you called him someone you care about earlier.”

“Because I care about my friends,” he tried to explain, but Val only gave him a look. Deciding to change the topic, he asked her, “Is this everything on the list then?”

“No, I still have to find a few others for you. I just wanted to see what you were so focused on. Apparently you’re just lovesick and drawing your dream boy.”

“I am not.”

She gave him a wink. “Sure you’re not.” She set the bag down on the table and left him to his drawing.

Steve waited until she left before looking it over again. He and Tony were just friends. It didn’t matter that he drew Tony looking so amazing, that’s just how he looked.

… Right?

* * *

_Blood… So much blood, too much blood, why was he surrounded by blood?_

Bucky covered his face with his hands. Why did he keep waking up? Why couldn’t he stay under her control? He didn’t want this, he didn’t want to be himself!

Every murder he was forced to commit, he remembered. They were blurring together, becoming one massive, gruesome bloodbath that he had caused.

Their eyes, staring in fear, their cries gurgled, muffled, blood spilling from their lips, and he just stood there after, awaiting the next order. He wanted to scream, but couldn’t until he broke free back in his tiny room, his cell.

Bucky wanted out of this. He didn’t want to kill anymore, he didn’t want to think anymore, didn’t want to...

His door opened and he slowly looked up, watching as the red woman came inside yet again. A guard closed the door behind her, the woman walking up to Bucky, brushing a gentle hand against his cheek. “You’re awake,” she realized, though was no longer surprised by it.

“Why?” he whispered. “Why do I keep coming back…?”

“Your gift,” she told him. “Did you know about it?”

Bucky didn’t know how he should answer. If he admitted to using it in the past, what would they do to him then? If he could feign innocence with this, would he be in less trouble?

Would it even matter? All they wanted him for was killing.

“It is protecting you,” she continued. “It breaks you free of my influence, and it seems to be working faster now… I wonder if the constant battling against my own is strengthening it.”

“I don’t want it to be stronger…”

“Barnes…”

“I don’t,” he said again. “It keeps bringing me back to think about what I’ve done… to know I’ve killed people…”

“Not your choice.”

“Doesn’t matter… I’m still doing it. I can’t stop it…”

She lifted her hand to his temple. “I can try to erase them for you… permanently.”

“And you’re going to do that every time?” he questioned.

“If it makes it easier for you, yes. I am not like Lord Pierce. I do not want you to suffer.”

“Yet you continue to do as he says…” Bucky pointed out.

“Because he has my brother as a prisoner.”

Bucky finally met her eyes with his own. “Are you sure it’s still true…?”

She stared at him. It was a possibility she never wanted to consider, that perhaps Pietro was no longer among the living. She had to keep believing she would see him again, that he would hold onto her, promise her it would be okay.

If he was gone…

“It has to be,” she said. “He has to be alive.”

“But if he wasn’t…?”

“Then I have no reason to be here, or anywhere…”

“Could give Pierce a taste of your power…” Bucky muttered.

The woman lowered her hands. “You speak of a dangerous, risky idea, Barnes…”

“Does he have magic too? That why you’re afraid?”

“He doesn’t, but…”

“But what?”

She sighed, reaching for his head again. “Do not move,” she warned. “Remain calm, and I may be able to erase the death from your thoughts.”

Bucky tried to follow her instructions, shutting his eyes so he couldn’t see the magic again, but there was still the reflex of a flinch as she entered his mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Updates may become more or less frequent depending on when things are written. I will be focusing on a fic for the first Iron Man Big Bang, as well as two artworks for the WinterIron Reverse Bang.
> 
> Thank you for your patience. Since there will be no scheduled updates, subscribing so you know when a new chapter is posted would be best.
> 
> This is not a hiatus, just going to be more infrequent.


End file.
